**When Was Artistic Swimming Introduced to the Olympics?**
Artistic swimming debuted at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, exclusively featuring female athletes. The 2024 Paris Olympics marks a historic shift, allowing men to compete in the event for the first time. Despite this milestone, NBC Sports reports that no men have been included in the team rosters.
**How Does Olympic Artistic Swimming Work?**
Artistic swimming, often referred to as synchronized swimming, is a sport governed by World Aquatics that combines water acrobatics with music. Athletes execute choreographed routines, sometimes propelling themselves out of the water. Olympic artistic swimming is divided into two events: duet and team competition, with each event featuring both a free routine and a technical routine. Judging criteria include execution, synchronization, degree of difficulty, music, and choreography, making it a blend of gymnastics and swimming. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, up to two men are permitted to compete in the team competition.
**2024 Olympic Medals: Track the Leaders**
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**Who Are the Leading Team USA Athletes in Artistic Swimming?**
**Anita Alvarez, 27, Santa Monica, California:** A veteran of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, where she placed ninth and thirteenth in the duet competitions, respectively. Alvarez has the potential to become the first American artistic swimmer to compete in three Olympic Games.
**Megumi Field, 18, Wilmington, Delaware:** A rising star who secured a bronze medal in the technical team event at the 2023 World Championships and another bronze in the free team event at the 2024 World Championships. Field has committed to join Stanford's swim team after the Paris Games.
**What is the International Landscape in Olympic Artistic Swimming?**
When artistic swimming was introduced to the Olympics in 1984, Team USA and Canada were the dominant forces. However, Russia has set the standard in the 21st century, winning gold in both events at the last six Olympic Games. Leading up to the Paris Olympics, China holds the top rank in several categories according to World Aquatics, with Spain, Great Britain, and the Netherlands also highly ranked.