Men to Make Olympic History in Artistic Swimming at Paris 2024

For the first time in Olympic history, men will be allowed to compete in artistic swimming at the Paris 2024 Games. This marks a significant shift for the sport, previously known as synchronized swimming, which was introduced at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but was only open to female competitors.

The new rules, reported by the Associated Press in July 2023 during the World Aquatics Championships, state that “up to two men per country may compete in the team competition, which features teams of eight athletes.” This means that while the majority of the team will still be female, the inclusion of men is a notable change and a move towards greater gender parity at the Olympics.

Despite this rule change, no male artistic swimmers were selected for any of the teams competing at Paris 2024. World Aquatics, the governing body for the sport, expressed their disappointment, stating that this should have been a “landmark moment” and that more work needs to be done to “progress opportunities for male athletes” in artistic swimming.

American synchronized swimmer Bill May welcomed the rule change, believing it will help the sport grow and attract more male participants. He argued that excluding men limited the sport and that inclusion will lead to increased popularity and participation numbers. May also addressed the misconception that artistic swimming is solely a female sport or one that does not require much skill, challenging anyone with doubts to try it and recognize its difficulty.

Artistic swimming, as the name now implies, involves athletes performing choreographed routines to music, combining elements of gymnastics and swimming. It requires exceptional athleticism, with athletes judged on execution, synchronization, degree of difficulty, musical interpretation, and choreography. At the Olympic level, the competition is divided into duet and team events, with each performance featuring a free routine and a technical one.

Historically, Team USA and Canada dominated artistic swimming when it debuted in 1984. However, Russia has been the standard in the 21st century, sweeping both events in the past six Games. As Paris 2024 approaches, China currently holds the World Aquatics top-ranked spot in several categories, with Spain, Great Britain, and the Netherlands also highly ranked.

While the Paris Olympics will not see male artistic swimmers as initially hoped, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that the Games will achieve numerical gender parity for the first time. Out of the 10,500 athletes participating, 5,250 will be men and 5,250 will be women. This is a significant milestone for gender equality in sports, even as the push for greater inclusion in artistic swimming continues.