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.
Japan competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. Japanese athletes have competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era since 1912 except for two editions; it was not invited to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London for its role in World War II, and was also part of the US-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The Japanese Olympic Committee sent a total of 306 athletes, 139 men and 167 women, to compete in 27 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, Japan was represented by more female than male athletes.
Ukraine competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine sent the nation's largest ever delegation to these Games. A total of 240 athletes, 125 men and 115 women, took part in 21 sports. Women's handball was the only team-based sport in which Ukraine had its representation at these Games for the first time. There was only a single competitor in modern pentathlon and taekwondo.
Germany competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fourth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics after its reunification in 1990. The German Olympic Sports Confederation sent the nation's second largest delegation to the Games since its reunification. A total of 441 athletes, 250 men and 191 women, competed in 27 sports, and were nominated by DOSB at four occasions.
Russia competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation. The Russian Olympic Committee sent a total of 446 athletes to the Games, 244 men and 202 women, to compete in all sports, except baseball, field hockey, football, and softball.
South Korea competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Olympics, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of its support for the United States boycott. The Korean Olympic Committee sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since 1992. A total of 264 athletes, 145 men and 119 women, competed in 25 sports.
Israel competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
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 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.
Gemma Mengual Civil is a Spanish synchronised swimmer. She has competed at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. On 15 February 2012 she announced her retirement. After retiring she became involved with coaching the national synchronised swimming team. However in June 2015 Mengual announced that she would return to competition with the aim of competing at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, in the mixed duet with Pau Ribas, whom she had previously coached. Although she had previously indicated that she would not compete beyond the World Championships, in September of that year she confirmed via social media that she would compete in the duet in the 2016 Summer Olympics with Ona Carbonell.
Anna Kozlova is a former synchronized swimmer who competed in three Olympic Games. After competing in the 1992 Summer Olympics and winning four European Championships representing the Soviet Union and its successor organizations, she defected to the United States in 1993. After missing the 1996 Atlanta Games due to a five-year wait to receive U.S. citizenship, she competed for her new country in Sydney, where her best placing was fourth. She went on to win gold medals in the Pan-American Games in 2003, before returning to her third and final Olympics in Athens, where she won two bronze medals.
Anastasia Gloushkov is an Israeli Olympic synchronized swimmer.
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.
Erin Dobratz is a retired American synchronized swimmer. She shared a silver medal in the combination routine, and captured a bronze for the Americans in the team event at the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. On that same year, Dobratz added a gold to her career hardware in the same tournament at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Dobratz helped the Team USA reclaim its spot to the medal podium with a bronze medal in the women's team event. Dobratz is also a graduate of Clayton Valley High School in Concord, California, and a member of the Stanford Cardinal women's synchronized swimming team.
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.
