Artistic Swimming is here for Paris 2024, and as it is one of the most popular sports at the worldwide biggest competition, let us explain everything you need to know about it.
We’re living historical days this year, so we need to be prepared for more USA medals.
Everything You Need To Know About Artistic Swimming
Artistic swimming, also known as synchronized swimming, is an exhibition sport where swimmers perform synchronized movements in water, accompanied by music.
It developed in the United States during the 1930s and was once referred to as “water ballet” due to its similarity to dance.
It was officially originated from life-saving and swimming techniques. And it also gained popularity when ornamental swimming and theatrical water ballets became fashionable in the late 19th century.
Swimmers back then were predominantly male and performed round dances adorned with garlands and lanterns.
After demonstrations in the early 20th century, artistic swimming grew in popularity. The first contests were organized, and the sport combined water acrobatics with music. Although it was initially open to men, it later became more associated with women.
Artistic swimming was admitted as an Olympic event for women in 1984 in solo and duet events, but in 1996 Games they updated with an eight-member team event.
Artistic Swimming 2024 Updates
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are making some changes, including a new scoring system and the inclusion of male members in team competition.
The old scoring system was based on the execution (30%), artistic impression (40%) and the difficulty (30%), however, there’s a new scoring technique:
- 10 judges will evaluate only execution and artistic impression.
- Difficulty is calculated before the routine (it’s similar to figure skating).
- The distribution is now:
- 50% Artistic Impression Score: Includes choreography, musicality, performance, and transitions.
- 50% Elements Score: Evaluates execution of each element.
Scores range from 0 to 10, with 0.25 increments. “Minor” errors have a penalty of 0.1-point penalty and “major” errors results in a 3.0-point penalty.
USA Team
The USA Artistic Swimming Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics includes the following talented athletes:
- Anita Alvarez: An Olympian from 2016 and 2020, hailing from Buffalo, NY.
- Jaime Czarkowski: Representing Calgary, Canada.
- Megumi Field: A Wilmington, DE native.
- Keana Hunter: Based in Seattle, WA.
- Audrey Kwon: Also from Seattle, WA.
- Jacklyn Luu: Milipitas, CA.
- Daniella Ramirez: Miami, FL.
- Ruby Remati: Andover, MA.
- Calista Liu: Serving as the Olympic alternate.
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Some Fun Facts
Historically, artistic swimming was exclusively for women. However, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has taken steps to promote gender equality.
Male swimmers will perform alongside female swimmers, contributing to the team’s overall routine. This change aims to broaden participation and showcase diverse talent.
In 1907, Annette Kellerman, an Australian underwater ballerina, performed in a glass tank, attracting national attention in New York.
Since it’s a sport practiced in the water, artistic swimmers need to secure their hair very well to allow for any type of movement in and out of the water. That’s why we’ve seen several videos circulating on TikTok of swimmers showing their extreme hair fixation process, and we have to confess that we’ve become addicted to them.
@kendall.stirrat #artisticswimminghair ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show
