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Artistic swimming is performed solo, in duets, trios or a team. It 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.

Artistic Swimming

Artistic swimming is an Olympic sport often described as “dance in the water”, its development from water ballet started when Australian Annettee Kellerman performed in a glass tank at the New York Hippodrome in 1907. It was known as Synchronised Swimming previously.

Training sessions are devoted to working on “figures” (also known as moves) – the set of body positions and transition movement which form the basis of artistic swimming. Land work sessions include flexibility, strength, and weight training, and creating, walking through and learning routines.

Today, Artistic Swimming has also evolved to become the epitome of diligence, dedication, esprit de corps, perseverance, and a can-do attitude of all our national players.

The pool where artistic swimming takes place must be at least 3m deep. A clip on the swimmer’s nose, which prevents an intake of water through the nostrils, makes it possible for the athlete to stay underwater longer; the use of hair gelatine and make-up helps hair to stay in place and highlights the athletes’ features respectively; underwater speakers transmit the music into the pool, helping the swimmers to keep their synchronisation while under water.

Artistic Swimming was first introduced in the Olympics in 1984. The USA, Canada and Russia have all claimed gold while Japan and France have shared in silver and bronze medals. It is one of only three Olympic disciplines in which only women are allowed to compete (the other two being Rhythmic gymnastics and Softball).Artistic swimming is also now accepted internationally as a spectator sport, being one of the first events to sell out at the Olympic Games.

Judging of Artistic Swimming

For open event artistic swimming competition, swimmer(s) need to perform 2 type of routines, namely Technical and Free routine and the total score determine the winner.

For Technical Routine, predetermined elements must be executed in a particular order. For Free Routine, it has no requirements and shows the team’s creativity, innovation, and strength.

ROUTINE PANELS
Two (2) panels of five (5) judges must officiate in all routines: one for Elements and one for Artistic Impression.

ELEMENTS

  • EXECUTION – The quality and precision of how well the swimmer performs all parts of the routine, including required technical elements, hybrids, and acrobatic moves.

ARTISTIC IMPRESSIONS

  • CHOREOGRAPHY and MUSICALITY – How creatively the routine is put together, combining artistic and technical moves. Includes use of pool space, variety in movements, and how well the routine matches the music’s mood, structure, and rhythm.
  • PERFORMANCE – How the swimmer(s) present the routine, including walk-on, deck movements, body language, and overall confidence and expression during the performance.
  • TRANSITIONS – The smoothness, variety, and purpose of the movements that connect different parts of the routine, including strokes and propulsions.

Two (2) groups of three (3) Technical Controllers must officiate in all routines: one group to check the number, order of performance and predeclared difficulty of the Free Elements (Hybrids and Acrobatics), and the performance and predeclared order of Technical Required Elements (technical routines), and one group to register the number and type of synchronisation errors observed. The Technical Controllers may use the VAR (Video Assisted Review). They can have one (1) review in slow motion for each element or transition part they are questioning. In order for a Base Mark or Major Errors to be applied or the review to be dismissed, two of the three TC must be in agreement.

There will be one (1) Difficulty Technical Controller (DTC) and two (2) Difficulty Assistant Technical Controllers (DATC). The purpose of the role is to verify all of the Technical Required Elements (technical routines), and the Free Elements (Hybrids and Acrobatics) performed in real time as they occur in a routine. The Referee is consulted in case of a Conflict of Interest where one of the DTC recuses themself. They are also responsible for the identification of any “technical errors”, which are differences in what is declared on the Coach Card to what is performed in the water OR an error in a Technical Required Element (technical routines). The Difficulty Technical Controller will have communication to the Referee.

There will be three (3) Synchronisation Technical Controllers (STC) who will record the number of synchronisation errors (unequal actions) they observe during the performance of a routine. They will be seated on deck with a clear view of the pool.

During routine sessions the officals shall be placed in elevated positions on opposite sides of the pool.

For more details, refer to FINA Artistic Swimming Rules 2022-2025 https://www.fina.org/artistic-swimming/rules