Synchronized Swimming

With summer in full swing, one can't help but long for the cool respite offered by swimming pools. I was certainly daydreaming of swimming this morning as I racked my brains for something to blog about, when suddenly it dawned on me: synchronized swimming. What a lovely way to combine physical artistry with the cool blue swimming pool!

Synchro Swimming USA has this to say:

"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.

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, with the United States winning the first solo and duet Olympic gold medals.

Three events are currently recognized internationally in synchronized swimming: solo, duet and team (eight swimmers). The competitive rules and manner of judgins are similar to such sports as figure skating and gymnastics. In the 1996 Olympics, the team event replaced solo and duet competition, which had been a part of the Olympic program since 1984. However, the overwhelming demand for tickets and braod television appeal of the 1996 team event prompted the IOC to reinstate the duet event for 2000."