When Did Artistic Swimming Become an Olympic Sport?
Artistic swimming made its Olympic debut at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Historically, only women were allowed to compete. However, for the 2024 Paris Games, men will be permitted to participate for the first time. According to NBC Sports, no men were named to team rosters for these games.
How Does Olympic Artistic Swimming Work?
Artistic swimming, sometimes called synchronized swimming and governed by World Aquatics, is essentially water acrobatics set to music. Athletes perform choreographed routines, often launching themselves out of the water. The Olympic competition includes two events: duet and team. Each event features a free routine and a technical one. Athletes are judged and scored based on execution, synchronization, degree of difficulty, music, and choreography. Think of it as a mix of gymnastics and swimming. For the 2024 Olympics, up to two men are allowed to compete in the team competition.
Who Are the Top Team USA Athletes in Artistic Swimming?
- Anita Alvarez, 27, Santa Monica, California: Competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, placing ninth and 13th, respectively, in duet competitions. She could become the first three-time American Olympian in artistic swimming.
- Megumi Field, 18, Wilmington, Delaware: Won a bronze medal in the 2023 world championship technical team and another bronze in the 2024 world championship free team. She plans to swim at Stanford after the Paris Games.
What's the International Landscape in Olympic Artistic Swim
ming?
When artistic swimming first joined the Olympics in 1984, Team USA and Canada dominated the events. However, in the 21st century, Russia has set the standard, sweeping both events in the past six Games. Ahead of the Paris Olympics, China holds the top-ranked spot in several categories, but Spain, Great Britain, and the Netherlands are also highly ranked.
Related queries:
artistic swimming olympics artistic swimming olympics 2024 tickets artistic swimming olympics 2024 synchronized swimming olympics 2024 artistic swimming olympics winners
Comments
Post a Comment