Synchronised 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 duet competition at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships that included male swimmers.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the team event in women's synchronized swimming was contested. It was the first appearance of the team event, which replaced the duet and solo events held previously.
The women's duet event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, took place inside the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre from 23 to 25 August. Reigning world champions Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova of Russia overwhelmed the audience with an extraordinarily synchronous and impressive performance to defend their Olympic title with a final merit of 99.334 points. Japan's Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda maintained a silver-medal streak in their second Olympics with 98.417, while U.S.A. duo Anna Kozlova and Alison Bartosik climbed out from behind to earn a bronze with 96.918.
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.
The women's duet synchronized swimming event at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held from August 18 to 20, at the Beijing National Aquatics Center.
The women's team event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, took place at the Beijing National Aquatics Center from 22 to 23 August. The Russian squad had displayed their complex choreography with an unmatched precision in the free routine to defend their Olympic title for the third straight victory, having received a nearly perfect mark of 99.500 by the judges. Spain picked up a silver with 98.251 points, while the Chinese squad surpassed the 2004 Olympic silver medal team Japan by nearly a two-point advantage to claim a bronze for the host nation's first ever Olympic medal, recording a composite score of 97.334.
The women's duet competition of the synchronized swimming events at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara were held from October 18 to October 20, at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center. The defending Pan American Champion is the duet from the United States.
The Women's duet event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, took place at the Aquatics Centre from 5 to 7 August.
The women's team event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, took place at the Aquatics Centre from 9 to 10 August. Russia maintained its dominance in the sport, as the team delivered a nearly perfect, complex choreography for another gold medal at its fourth consecutive Olympics, having received a powerful, composite score of 197.030 by the judges. Meanwhile, the Chinese squad resisted the challenge from Spain on a historical breakthrough to add a silver in the event with 194.010, edging the Spaniards out of the pool to accept the bronze for a total score of 193.120.
The women's team event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, took place at the Sydney International Aquatic Centre from 28 to 29 September. The Russian synchronized swimmers performed a witch-themed routine with a variety of flying lifts and multiple pattern changes to score 99.146 out of a possible 100 points for an Olympic gold medal in the team event. The Japanese squad excelled in the artistic impression component for a score of 40 in the final free routine, but had to be satisfied with a second Olympic silver at these Games, having received an overall total of 98.860. Meanwhile, the Canadian octet snatched the bronze with a composite score of 97.357, finishing ahead of France by almost a full point (96.467). The U.S. team failed to collect an Olympic medal for the first time since the sport's introduction in 1984, as the swimmers finished the routine in fifth at 96.467.
The women's duet event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, took place inside the Sydney International Aquatic Centre from 24 to 26 September.
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.
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.
The Women's team event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took place at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center from 14 to 16 August.
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, will take place at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on 6 and 7 August 2021. It will be the 7th time the women's team event is held at the Olympic Games.
Kate Shortman is a British synchronised swimmer. 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.
Lara Mechnig is a synchronized swimmer from Liechtenstein. She competed in the women's duet event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. This was also the first time Liechtenstein competed in artistic swimming at the Summer Olympics.
Marluce Schierscher is a synchronized swimmer from Liechtenstein. She competed in the women's duet event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. This was also the first time Liechtenstein competed in artistic swimming at the Summer Olympics.
Gustavo Adolfo Sánchez is a Colombian artistic swimmer. He won two gold medals in the solo free routine at the 2022 Artistic Swimming World Series as well as a bronze medal in the mixed duet technical routine. His gold medal in the solo free routine at the Paris stop of the 2022 World Series marked the first gold medal won by an artistic swimmer representing Colombia at a FINA Artistic Swimming World Series. At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, he placed eighth in the final of both the mixed duet technical routine and the mixed duet free routine. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he placed sixth in both the mixed duet technical routine and the mixed duet free routine. He is the 2022 Bolivarian Games champion in the mixed duet routine.
