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Men Break Barriers in Artistic Swimming at Paris 2024 Olympics
The artistic swimming competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics has seen a significant change in its history, with men now allowed to compete for the first time. Under rule changes announced by the International Olympic Committee in December 2022, a maximum of two men can form part of the eight-athlete team event but not the two-athlete duet event. However, no single man has been selected among the 96 athletes from 18 countries set to battle it out in the pool. Artistic swimming, also known as synchronized swimming before a name change in 2017, has a long and complicated history when it comes to male participation.
Bill May’s Olympic Dream Deferred
It was popularized in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, and in its early years, men played an established role. However, male competitors were later seen to be at odds with the sport due to certain physical characteristics: they were heavier, less flexible, and less buoyant than their female counterparts. When artistic swimming was first added to the Olympics in 1984, only women were allowed to compete. This is how it remained for 40 years until now. One American swimmer, 45-year-old Bill May, had hoped his Olympic dream would finally be realized in Paris, but he was not ultimately selected for the Team USA squad announced in June.
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The eight women who were selected will also be taking part in a new event—an acrobatic routine—which has been added to this year’s program alongside technical and free routines. An updated scoring system assigns scores based on execution and artistic impression. Coaches must hand over a card with details of the routine in order for judges to assign a difficulty score. If the routine doesn’t match the card or includes an error, the athlete will be marked down.
When did artistic swimming become an Olympic sport?
Artistic swimming, which made its Olympic debut in 1984, traditionally featured women. However, for the 2024 Paris Games, men will compete, but no men were named to team rosters, according to NBC Sports.
How does Olympic artistic swimming work?
Artistic swimming, also known as synchronized swimming, is a water acrobatics sport where athletes perform choreographed routines, sometimes launching themselves out of the water. The Olympics have two events: duet and team competition, with judges scoring athletes based on execution, synchronization, difficulty, music, and choreography. In 2024, up to two men can compete in the team competition.
China Leads the Charge in Artistic Swimming, Newcomers Join the Fray
There are a total of six medals up for grabs, with China among the favorites to take gold in both duet and team events after emerging as a “dominant force” in recent years. Japan, the US, Spain, Ukraine, and Mexico will make their artistic swimming Olympic debuts. The competition will run from August 5 to August 10, with medal days on August 7 for the team competition and August 10 for the duets. In the international landscape of Olympic artistic swimming, Russia has been the standard, sweeping both events in the past six Games.
Bobby Finke Sets New World Record in 1500m Freestyle
In the final individual swimming race of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Bobby Finke of Team USA set a new world record in the 1500m freestyle, surpassing the previous mark of 14:31.02. Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri took silver with a time of 14:34.55, while Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen clinched bronze with a time of 14:39.63.
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