Synchronized Swimming

Synchronized swimming first appeared in the Olympic Summer Games in 1952 as a demonstration sport. It is a competitive swimming form of ballet. Many people first saw synchronized swimmers as part of an old film. Esther Williams synchronized swimming played a set piece in almost all of her water films and, particularly in Million Dollar Mermaid, the story of the woman who introduced the style. Annette Kellerman, an Australian swimmer, entertained with her version of this underwater ballet form in 1907. Later, Katherine Curtis got the ball rolling with her Modern Mermaids Club at the University of Chicago in 1923. She entertained visitors to the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1934 with her own vision of synchronized swimming.

Girl’s synchronized swimming, however, did not become a fully accepted sport until after 1952. The Canadians developed a synchronized swimming team in the 1900s, but the first synchronized swimmers at the Summer Olympic Games were not until 1952. Even then, as Olympic synchronize history notes; synchronized swimming did not become an official sport until 1984. At these Olympic, synchronized swimming medals went to Tracie Ruiz for her Solo gold performance and Carolyn Waldo for her Canadian Silver performance. The gold medal for Duet went to the USA while the silver fell to the Canadians. The Japanese won bronze in both categories. In 1988, the positions and people for gold and silver reversed with Canada and Carolyn Waldo receiving the gold and Tracie Ruiz and the United States taking home the silver medal. This pattern for girls synchronized swimming continued for the next few Olympics.

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If you glance at any synchronized swimming graphics or at a synchronized swimming photo, you will usually see female synchronized swimmers. Pictures of synchronized swimming at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships shows the synchronized swimmers are all female. While there are male synchronized swimmers, they can only take part in national and international competitions. Both Synchro Canada and USA Synchro have male and female synchronized swimming. They take part in mixed meets. One day, this may change.

Male or female, whatever synchronized swimming suits they may wear, the routines are specific and designed to show off the characteristics of artistry, endurance, flexibility, grace and strength. During a fee swim or a technical swim, competitors must display the right type of moves. Included are specific synchronized swimming lifts, walkovers, and a number of different body positions linked together through transitional movements. Difficult to explain, nevertheless, a synchronized swimming description usually includes the words ballet, gymnastic-like and dancing in water.