Synchronised swimming
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Synchronized swimming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and figure skating, consisting of swimmers (either solos, duets, teams or trios) performing a synchronised routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music. Synchronized swimming demands advanced water skills, and requires great strength, endurance, flexibility, grace, artistry and precise timing, as well as exceptional breath control when upside down underwater.
Olympic and World Championship competition is not open to men, but other international and national competitions allow male competitors. Both USA Synchro and Synchro Canada allow men to compete with women.
Competitors show off their strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance required to perform difficult routines. Swimmers perform two routines for the judges, one technical and one free.
Synchronized Swimming is governed internationally by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation).
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[edit] History
At the turn of the 20th century, synchronized swimming was known as Water Ballet. However, its origin can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans with performances in amphitheaters.<needs citation> The first recorded competition was in 1891 in Berlin, Germany. Many swim clubs were formed around that time, and the sport simultaneously developed within several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the USA.
While exclusively a sport performed by men it its first days, it quickly became a women's sport because the nature of the physical movements are more suitable to the female physique (i.e. center of gravity). In 1907, Australian Annette Kellerman popularized the sport when she performed in a glass tank as an underwater ballerina in New York.
In 1924, the first competition in North America was in Montreal, with Peg Seller as the first champion. Other important pioneers for the sport are Beulah Gundling, Käthe Jacobi, Dawn Bean, Billie MacKellar, Teresa Anderson and Gail Johnson. Many of the competitions in those days were still done in lakes and rivers.
See also
- A History of Synchronized Swimming, by Synthia Sydnor in the Journal of Sport History, Volume 25, Number 2.
- The History of Aquatics, in Aquatics International, July/August 2003.
[edit] Origins
In 1933-1934 Katherine Curtis organized a show, "The Modern Mermaids," for the World Exhibition in Chicago, which the announcer introduced as "Synchronized Swimming." This was the first mentioning of the term synchronized swimming, although Curtis still used the term rhythmic swimming in her book, Rhythmic Swimming: A Source Book of Synchronized Swimming and Water Pageantry (Minneapolis: Burgess Publishing Co., 1936). See a photo of Motherwell's Rhythmic Swimming Display, 1946.
But it was National AAU champion swimmer, Esther Williams, who popularized synchronized swimming through (often elaborately staged) scenes in Hollywood films such as Bathing Beauty (1944), Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), and Jupiter's Darling (1955).
[edit] Syncro as an Olympic Sport
Although first demonstrated at the 1952 Olympic Games, synchronized swimming did not become an official Olympic sport until the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.[1]. It was not until 1968 that synchronized swimming became officially recognized by FINA as the fourth water sport next to swimming, platform diving and water polo.
From 1984 through 1992, the Summer Olympic Games featured solo and duet competitions, but they both were dropped in 1996 in favor of team competition. At the 2000 Olympic Games, however, the duet competition was restored and is now featured alongside the team competition.
[edit] Current program
[edit] Duet
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1984 Los Angeles |  Tracie Ruizand Candy Costie (USA) |
 Sharon Hambrookand Kelly Kryczka (CAN) |
 Saeko Kimuraand Miwako Motoyoshi (JPN) |
| 1988 Seoul | Michelle Cameron and Carolyn Waldo (CAN) |
Karen Josephson and Pamela McFadden (USA) |
Mikako Kotani and Miyako Tanaka (JPN) |
| 1992 Barcelona | Karen Josephson and Sarah Josephson (USA) |
Penny Vilagos and Vicky Vilagos (CAN) |
Fumiko Okuno and Aki Takayama (JPN) |
| 1996 Atlanta | not included in the Olympic program | ||
| 2000 Sydney |  Olga Brusnikinaand Maria Kisseleva (RUS) |
 Miya Tachibanaand Miho Takeda (JPN) |
 Virginie Dedieuand Myriam Lignot (FRA) |
| 2004 Athens | Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova (RUS) |
Miya Tachibana and Miho Takeda (JPN) |
Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova (USA) |
| 2008 Beijing | Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova (RUS) |
 Andrea Fuentesand Gemma Mengual (ESP) |
Saho Harada and Emiko Suzuki (JPN) |
[edit] Team
[edit] Discontinued event
[edit] Solo
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1984 Los Angeles | Tracie Ruiz (USA) |
Carolyn Waldo (CAN) |
Miwako Motoyoshi (JPN) |
| 1988 Seoul | Carolyn Waldo (CAN) |
Tracie Ruiz (USA) |
Mikako Kotani (JPN) |
| 1992 Barcelona | Kristen Babb-Sprague (USA) |
none awarded | Fumiko Okuno (JPN) |
| Sylvie Fréchette (CAN) |
[edit] Preparation
When performing routines in competition, competitors will typically wear a rubber nose-clip. Some swimmers even wear ear-plugs to keep the water out of their ears. Hair is worn in a bun and flavorless gelatin, Knox, is used to keep hair in place. Competitors also wear custom swimsuits and headpieces, usually elaborately decorated, to reflect the type of music to which they are swimming. The costume and music are not judged (but marks will be taken if the headpiece falls off any swimmer while he/she is swimming the routine), but factor into the overall performance and "artistic impression". Heavy eye make-up is often worn to help portray the emotions involved with the routine; it is very necessary to accentuate the eyes of each individual swimmer. Lipstick is often used, and many teams see fit to smear some on their cheeks for a very vibrant and water-resistant blush. Underwater speakers ensure that swimmers can hear the music at all times and also aid their ability to synchronise with each other. Goggles, though worn during practice, are not permitted during routine competition, though exceptions can be made if a swimmer has a chlorine allergy.
[edit] Levels of competition
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The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with English-speaking territories and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
In the United States, the competitions are divided into the following age groups: Age group, some teams allow you to start a team as young as 7 years old, Juniors (elite 15-18), Seniors (elite 15 and over), Collegiate, and Masters. Within each competition there are different levels determined by age, point score or affiliation (for example, novice, intermediate, age group, junior (15-18), senior, varsity, club, master, etc. Many states have teams that practice year round. There is also year round competition. A swim meet in the United states usually begins with the swimmers doing figures which are individual positions like the: ballet leg, the dolphin,it depends on your age range and your ability which figures you will have to do in front of a panel of 4 to 5 judges who will score you from 1 to 10 ( 10 being the best). After the figure round the routines begin. Individual swimmers may compete in up to three of the following routine events, solo, duet, trio, and team. A team consists of four to eight swimmers, with .25 points added to the final score for each swimmer over the minimum of four. Swimmers also compete in individual figures or technical elements, which in some levels of competition are sometimes factored in with routine scores. Also, competition rules may limit the number of events that each team can participate in. Ballet
In Canada, synchronised swimming has a skill-based Tier Structure system with Tiers 1-7 as well as competition at the Masters and University levels. Tiers 6 and 7 are national stream athletes that fall in line with international age groups - Tier 6 is 15 and Under and Tier 7 is Junior (16-18) and Senior (18+) level athletes.
In the UK, competitions include county level, regional level through to the national age group competition usually held towards the end of the year. Competitors are split by age group, 12 and under, 13 & 14, 15/16/17, and 18 and over. To compete in the competitive strand of competitions swimmers must hold the required skill level for their age group. Recreational strands of competitions are also present to allow those competitors who have not achieved the desired level. Swimmers compete through figures, duets, teams and combination routines.
[edit] Basic skills
Sculls are the basic elements of synchronized swimming and they are combined with one or more positions to form a figure, or complete movement. For more information about figures, USSS (United States Synchronized Swimming) publishes yearly a handbook of all the figures, including explanations and step-by-step drawings, that are recognized in the United States. It is available from their website.
[edit] Sculls
Sculls, or movements used to propel the body, are the most essential part to synchronized swimming. Commonly used sculls include support scull, head-first, foot-first. split scull, barrel, paddle, thrust, and porpeller sculls. The support scull is used to support the body when a swimmer is completing a movement upside-down and underwater. Support scull is performed by holding the upper arms against the sides of the body and the lower arms at 90-degree angles to the body. The lower arms are then moved back and forth while maintaining the right angle, this allows the swimmer to keep a position above the water with incredible height.
"Eggbeater" is another important skill of synchronized swimming. It is a form of treading water that allows for stability and height above the water while leaving the hands free(duble arm) to perform.The ideal height would be at the armpits also cheast or scoop, but this can be difficult for long periods of time, if your hands are not sculling, and for younger tiers.
[edit] Positions
There are hundreds of different regular positions and seemingly infinite combinations of positions. These are a few basic and commonly used ones:
- Back layout The most basic position. The body floats, completely straight and rigid, face-up on the surface while sculling at the sides.
- Vertical position: Achieved by holding the body completely straight upside down and perpendicular to the surface usually with entire leg out of water.
- Crane position: While holding a vertical body position, one leg is vertical while the other is horizontal parallel to the surface making a 90-degree angle.
- 'bent knee': Similar to the vertical position, but one knee is bent with the toe touching the inside of the vertical leg.
- Ballet leg: Beginning in a back layout, one leg is extended and held perpendicular to the body, while the other is held straight along the surface of the water.
- 'Split position:' With the body vertical, one leg is stretched forward along the surface and the other extended back along the surface.
- 'Flamingo': Similar to Ballet Leg position where bottom leg is pulled up so that the shin of the bottom leg is touching the knee of the vertical leg.
- Knight: Where the body is in a back arch with legs in back lay-out position. And a leg is lifted so it is perpendicular with the water.
- Side fishtail: Side Fishtail is a position where the as the leg is being lifted up into a crane, it is rotated so the legs and the body make a 'Y' position.
- Herring: While holding a vertical body position, one leg is vertical while the other is bent touching the bent leg toe to the vertical knee so mastering the herring position.
Further descriptions of technical positions can be found on the International Olympic Committee website
[edit] Routine
Routines are composed of "hybrids", figures, and arm sections. They often incorporate lifts or throws, an impressive move in which a group of swimmers lift or throw another swimmer out of the water. Swimmers are synchronised both to each other and to the music. During a routine swimmers can never use the bottom of the pool for support, but rather depend on sculling motions with the arms, and eggbeater kick to keep afloat. After the performance, the swimmers are judged and scored on their performance based on technical merit and artistic impression. Technical skill, patterns, expression, and synchronisation are all critical to achieving a high score.
Technical vs. free routines: Depending on the competition level, the swimmers will perform a free routine - no specific choreography requirement - and either a technical routine with predetermined elements or technical elements - a sequence of positions performed individually in front of a panel of judges.
Length of routines: The type of routine and competition level determines the length of routines. Routines typically last two and a half to five minutes long, the shortest being solos, with length added as the number of swimmers are increased (duets, trios and teams).
In technical competitions, solo swimmers have only two minutes to perform their routine. In free routines solos are three minutes, duets three and a half minutes and teams four minutes.
Scoring: Routines are scored on a scale of 100, with points for both artistic impression and technical merit. The artistic mark is worth 60% of the total and the technical mark is worth 40%.
Combination (combo) routine: A new category has recently been incorporated into international Synchronised Swimming called the Combination Routine. In this event, up to ten swimmers compete a single continuous routine with two segments of team, two segments of duet and two segments of solo. During parts of the routine when some swimmers are not performing, they tread water alongside without touching the side or bottom of the pool. It is up to the discretion of the coach to determine the combinations of swimmers who will swim. The degree of involvement for any specific swimmer may vary. For example, a single swimmer may compete in both duet segments with two different partners or a swimmer may only perform in a single solo segment of the routine. This event is new but is gaining popularity with teams and audiences on an international level.
[edit] High school synchronised swimming in the United States
While there are hundreds of clubs around the United States, few states support synchronised swimming as an official high school sport. Each program structure may vary from place to place.
Michigan also has a high school varsity program. Its structure is similar to the USSS Age Group program with free and technical team, duet, and trio routines. Figures are also performed at competition and are divided into four levels (A-D), depending on the ability, the height and weight of the swimmer.
A lising of all USA local teams and clubs may be found on the USA Synchro website under the "Athletes" tab
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Becky Maltby (October/November 2007). "Into the Blue". Hana Hou! Vol. 10 No. 5. http://www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=622&MagazineID=39.
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[edit] External links
- Cincinnati YMCA Synchrogators Synchronised Swimming Team
- Synchro Swim Ontario
- Go Synchro! -Further information on synchronised swimming, including pictures. Also has the history of the sport in Australia and includes contact details for Australian clubs
- Synchronized Swimming BC (British Columbia, Canada
- "Sync or Swim" Documentary film being made about synchronised swimming
- Synchronized Swimming Canada (Canada)
- USA Synchro United States Synchronized Swimming (USSS)
- Canadian University Synchro Swim League
- Colorado Time Systems
- Northern Virginia Nereids
