The sport of artistic swimming has been a part of the Olympic Games since the 20th century. The sport, which was known as synchronized swimming till 2017, is the perfect combination of water, acrobatics, and music. The sport was earlier known as water ballet and finds its roots in the late 19th century. The first recorded competition was held in the German capital Berlin in 1891. As the sport gained more traction, it was finally included in the Olympics. Currently, there are duet and group categories. Till now, they were only open to women.

However, the 2024 Paris Olympics are going to bring a major change to artistic swimming. While men were able to compete in other artistic swimming competitions, they were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. Now, a separate category for men has been introduced in the 2024 Games as a bid to smash gender stereotypes and provide equal opportunity to all players. Commemorating this charming sport, a recently resurfaced video revealed just how much fans love the synchronized dance in the water.

The beauty of artistic swimming

There is no doubt that the sport is a hard one. Holding one’s breath for long periods of time while upside down in the water is not an easy ask. On top of that, getting the timing right to ensure one is in synchronization with their teammates is paramount. A panel of judges scores athletes’ execution and synchronization, as well as the degree of difficulty, use of music, and choreography. Therefore, when a viral video of the sport resurfaced, fans could not help but share their appreciation. The video received more than 1 million views and several comments from impressed fans.

Initially, athletes from Canada and USA dominated the sport. According to the official Paris Olympics page, during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Russians emerged as the new champions of artistic swimming. The sport has been dominated by women for decades. Although, all that is about to change in 2024. Men have been allowed by the International Olympic Committee to participate in this elegant sport in teams of 2. This change has been a welcome decision by many men who have been making waves of their own in the water.

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“So Much Bullying”: After Years of Being Ousted Summer Games in Paris to Finally Include Men in an Unlikely Sport

While artistic swimming became a sport in the 20th century, till 2015 only females were allowed to compete. The 44-year-old Bill May was a pioneer of the sport, paving the way for many men to follow in his footsteps and become a part of the sport. Recently, he became the first American man to capture a team artistic swimming medal at World Championships. Now that greats like Bill May will be able to show their skills at the Olympic level, fans are excited at the prospect of reveling in the sport again.

Netizens show appreciation for the sport in a resurfaced video

A viral video shared by the official YouTube page of the Olympics revealed two women participating in a synchronized swimming competition. The fans watching the video were amazed at the skills shown by the two female competitors. The comments section was filled with positive comments, with one follower writing, “such respect for these. it’s such an underrated sport honestly they deserve more praise”. Another aficionado of the sport wrote, “Such a beautiful and technical sport yet still underrated.”

A fan expressed wonder at the difficulty of the sport, and said, “while learning how to swim, sometimes i would forget that im underwater and would breathe in and then almost get choked with water, coughing badly around. bro i can never do this”. Delving into the insane training these athletes have to undergo, someone wrote, “The harder part seems like keeping your core strong enough to stay upside down”. While the athletes featured in the video were women, it will be exciting to see what men can bring to the sport on the biggest global sports stage in the world.

Watch This Story: Male Athletes Embrace Breakthrough in Artistic Swimming, Securing Spot in 2024 Paris Olympics Competition