Synchronized swimming, also known as artistic swimming, is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by World Aquatics. It has traditionally been a women's sport, although FINA introduced a new mixed gender duet competition that included one male swimmer in each duet at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships and European Aquatics introduced men's individual events at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships. From 2024, men are able to compete in the team event at the Olympics.
Artistic swimming has been an event at the Summer Olympics since the 1984 Games. The current Olympic program consists of a Women's Duet event and a Mixed Team event.
The women's team event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, took place at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre from 26 to 27 August. The Russian synchronized swimmers delivered a superb performance to defend their Olympic title in the event, having received a straight line of five perfect marks from the judges for a composite score of 99.501. Japan maintained a silver-medal streak on its second Olympics by a single point short of Russia's score with 98.501, after displaying their explosive lifts and quick changes of pattern throughout the routine. Having failed to secure an Olympic medal in the sport from the previous Olympics, the U.S. squad assembled a colorful demonstration of multiple sequences and flying leaps to hold on for the bronze with a score of 97.418.
Svetlana Alekseyevna Romashina is a former Russian synchronized swimmer. She won a total of 41 gold medals while competing in four Olympic Games, seven world championships, and six European championships. After winning two golds at the 2020 Summer Olympics, she became the most decorated athlete in the history of her sport.
William May is an American synchronized swimmer. Performing primarily in duets, May won several national and international events. May desired to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics, but then there was not yet a mixed or male category in Synchronized Swimming.
Synchronized swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were staged from 15 to 20 August at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center. A total of 104 athletes competed in two medal events, namely the women's duet and the women's team.
Yukiko Inui is a Japanese competitor in synchronised swimming. She won Japan's first gold medal in each the solo technical routine and the solo free routine at a FINA World Aquatics Championships at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in the duet event with Megumu Yoshida, and in the team event.
Artistic swimming competitions at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan featured a total of 104 athletes competing in two medal events, namely the women's duet and the women's team. The events took place in 2021 following the Games' postponement from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evangelia Platanioti is a Greek artistic swimmer. She competed in the women's duet at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's duet where her partner was Evangelia Papazoglou. They finished in 10th place.
Giorgio Minisini is an Italian synchronised swimmer. He won two bronze medals in the inaugural mixed duet competition at the 2015 World Championships. He was world champion at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in the mixed duet technical routine in 2017 and 2022 and the mixed duet free routine in 2022. In 2022, he became the first male artistic swimmer to win a gold medal at a LEN European Aquatics Championships in a men's solo event, winning the gold medal in the solo technical routine.
The Women's duet event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took place at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center from 14 to 16 August.
This article details the qualifying phase for artistic swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics.. The competition at these Games will comprise a total of 104 athletes coming from their respective NOCs; each has been allowed to enter a maximum of eight if qualified in the women's team and two if qualified only for the women's duet. NOCs qualified in the team event may select two of the team members to compete in the duet. Host nation Japan is considered the Asian continental representative, having reserved a spot on all events.
The women's duet event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, took place at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre from 2 to 4 August 2021. It was the 9th time the women's duet event was held at the Olympic Games.
The women's team event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, took place at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on 6 and 7 August 2021. It was the 7th time the women's team event was held at the Olympic Games.
Kate Elizabeth Shortman is a British synchronised swimmer, the most successful in her nation's history. With partner Isabelle Thorpe, she won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the duet, the first medal won by Great Britain in the sport.
Isabelle Thorpe is a British synchronised swimmer who won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the duet. She competed in the women's duet event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She also represented Great Britain at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary and at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. She also competed at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She trains at the City of Bristol Swimming Club.
Shelly Bobritsky is an Israeli Olympic swimmer who competes in Artistic swimming. She competed in the 2020 Olympics in duet, was the European Champion in the free combination event in 2023, and was a three-time European medalist as well as a two-time European Cup bronze medalist. Bobritsky represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in artistic swimming women's duet with Ariel Nassee, and the pair came in 11th.
Artistic swimming competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France ran between 5 and 10 August at the Paris Aquatic Centre. For the first time since the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the competition featured fewer than 100 athletes, with a total of 96 athletes competing in two medal events, namely the women's duet and the mixed team.
This article details the qualifying phase for artistic swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The competition at these Games will comprise a total of 96 artistic swimmers coming from their respective NOCs; each is allowed to enter a maximum of eight members if qualified for the open team, and a maximum of two artistic swimmers competing in the women's duet. NOCs may select two of the qualified team members to compete in the women's duet. Host nation France reserves an eight-member team across all events as Europe's continental representative.
The team event at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held from 5 to 7 August 2024 at the Paris Aquatic Centre.
