Synchronized swimming or artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by FINA. It is traditionally 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 LEN introduced men's individual events at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships.
World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA, is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competitions in water sports. It is one of several international federations which administer a given sport or discipline for both the IOC and the international community. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The European Aquatics Championships is the continental Aquatics championship for Europe, which is organised by LEN—the governing body for aquatics in Europe. The Championships are currently held every two years ; and since 2022, they have included 5 aquatics disciplines: Swimming, Diving, Synchronised swimming, Open water swimming and High diving. Prior to 1999, the championships also included Water polo, which beginning in 1999 LEN split-off into a separate championships. The open water events are not held during the Olympic year.
LEN is the European governing body for aquatic sports affiliated to FINA — it is the Continental Association for Europe. It was formally organized in 1927 in Bologna, and since 2015 is headquartered in Nyon.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around the world. Exhibits include ancient art and both reproductions and original art depicting famous moments in swimming history, swimwear, and civil rights, as well as memorabilia and artifacts belonging to persons who have promoted or excelled in aquatics. It is recognized by FINA as the official hall for the aquatics sports.
Helen Vanderburg is a former Canadian synchronized swimmer and world champion.
The FINA World Championships or World Aquatics Championships are the World Championships for aquatics sports: swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming, and water polo. They are run by World Aquatics, and all swimming events are contested in a long course (50-metre) pool.
Swimming World is a US-based monthly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January 1960. It concurrently runs online websites Swimming World Magazine and Swimming World News,. The headquarters is in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Japan Swimming Federation, is the national federation for Aquatics in Japan. It oversees Japan's Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming competitive programs. It was founded on October 31, 1924. It is affiliated to FINA, the Asia Swimming Federation, the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japan Amateur Sports Association.
Svetlana Alekseyevna Romashina is a Russian synchronized swimmer that boasts 41 total gold medals from competing in four Olympic Games, seven world championships and six European championships. She has never placed lower than first at any of these events, and by adding two more golds in the 2020 Summer Olympics she broke all medal-count ties to become the most decorated athlete ever in her sport.
The Uytengsu Aquatics Center is a 2,500-seat outdoor aquatics venue located on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, USA. The facility features two pools: a long course pool, and a diving well with towers. The facility is the home pool for the USC Trojans swimming and diving teams.
Olga Genrikhovna Sedakova is a former Russian synchronized swimmer who competed at two Olympic Games, won three gold medals in the World Championships, and nine golds at the European Championships. In 2019, she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Beulah Detwiler Gundling was an American synchronized swimmer, aquatic artist, choreographer and author.
Albert Hubbard is an American synchronized swimmer, choreographer and coach. He is also an aquatic artist as well as historian of the International Academy of Aquatic Art.
Katherine Whitney Curtis, also spelled "Katharine" or "Kay" Curtis, was an American swimmer and physical education instructor who is widely credited as the originator of synchronized swimming. While historical figures such as Esther Williams and Annette Kellerman are recognized for similar contributions, important historical details regarding the origin of the word "Synchronized Swimming," its reference to the Olympic sport, and the technical structure of that sport are all credited to Curtis.
Aleksandr Evgenyevich Maltsev is a 4-time world champion and 6-time European champion in artistic swimming and a founder of men's artistic swimming in Russia. Aleksandr is the most titled male artistic swimmer in the world. He is recognized as the best male artistic swimmer in the world by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and as the best male artistic swimmer in Europe by the European Swimming League (LEN).
Sue Baross Nesbitt, is an American synchronized swimming champion and international coach. She is currently the head coach with the Riverside Aquettes in Riverside, California.
The Palace of Water Sports is an indoor aquatics centre in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia which was built for the 2013 Summer Universiade. Located on the banks of the Kazanka River, the competitions in synchronized swimming, diving, swimming and water polo took place here. It later hosted the diving events for the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. As of 2018, the facility was utilized by approximately 3,000 children per day.
Julie Sauvé was a Canadian synchronized swimming coach. Sauvé began her coaching career with the Club Aquatique Montréal Olympique in the 1970s before joining the Canadian synchronized swimming team in 1982. She continued to coach at the Club Aquatique Montréal Olympique until she was fired in 1993. While with the Canadian synchronized swimming team, Sauvé coached Olympic medallists Sylvie Fréchette, Penny Vilagos and Vicky Vilagos. After leaving the Canadian team in 2012, Sauvé coached the synchronized swimming teams of Brazil and Singapore during the remainder of the 2010s. Sauvé was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.
Beulah Gundling: Claire de Lune (1981)
Beulah Gundling: Orientale (1975)
Bert Hubbard (left), Joan Hinderstein (middle) and Richard Proctor (right) in 1960 in Bert Hubbard's own choreography “Othello” after Giuseppe Verdi's opera
Bert Hubbard and Diane Tulley in His and her Limelights at the IAAA festival 1997
Beulah Gundling and her husband Henry Gundling (left) in 1980
Group photo of the IAAA in 1979, left to right: Henry Gundling, Peg Seller, Marge Sharpe, Beulah Gundling, Kay Curtis, Norma Prince, Lee Vanderpool, Vaughan Baird
