What is Synchronized Swimming?
Synchronized swimming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers (either solos, duets, trios, or teams) performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music. Spectators have been awed by the grace and power of synchronized swimming since the inception of the sport in the early 1900s. Synchronized swimming requires a unique combination of overall body strength and agility, grace and beauty, split-second timing, musical interpretation, stamina and dramatic flair. Many swimmers refer to synchronized swimming as dance or gymnastics in the water. Synchro incorporates the elegance of ballet, the strength and flexibility of a gymnast, and the stamina of a speed swimmer, all to sounds of music above and below the water.
The inaugural synchronized swimming U.S. National Championships were held in 1946, just one year after the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) first recognized the sport. A few years later, the 1955 Pan American Games included synchronized swimming events, and the World Aquatic Championships soon followed. After almost 40 years of concerted effort, synchronized swimming was at last included in the Olympic Games in 1984. In the United States the sport is governed by United States Synchronized Swimming. For more information visit: www.usasynchro.org.
