What Is Artistic Swimming? A Beginner's Guide
Artistic swimming combines swimming, dance and gymnastics, performed to music. It looks graceful from above, and is extraordinarily demanding underneath.
What is artistic swimming?
Artistic swimming is a competitive sport in which swimmers perform choreographed routines to music, as a solo, duet or team. Judges score the difficulty and execution of the movements and the artistic impression. Swimmers must not touch the bottom of the pool during routines.
From synchronised swimming to artistic swimming
The sport was long known as synchronised swimming. In 2017, swimming's international federation FINA, now World Aquatics, changed the name to artistic swimming. Tokyo 2020, held in 2021, was the first Olympic Games under the new name. The sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1984.
At the Olympics
The Olympic programme has a team event and a duet event. For Paris 2024, World Aquatics and the IOC allowed men to compete in the Olympic team event for the first time, with up to two men in each team of eight. Men have competed at the World Aquatics Championships since 2015. Check World Aquatics for the latest rules.
The skills behind the routines
- Sculling: small, continuous hand movements that support and move the body.
- Eggbeater kick: an alternating circular kick that keeps the swimmer high in the water with hands free. Water polo players use it too.
- Breath control: swimmers spend long periods upside down underwater while working hard.
- Strength and flexibility: for high leg positions, spins and lifts, where team members launch a swimmer out of the water.
- Synchrony and musicality: moving in exact time with team-mates and the music, often without seeing each other.
Is it a good sport for children?
Artistic swimming builds strength, flexibility, breath control, teamwork and confidence in the water. Children usually need to be confident swimmers first, comfortable in deep water and able to swim several strokes. Many start with a strong learn-to-swim foundation and SwimSafer stages, then try artistic swimming through a club.
Safety note
Artistic swimmers train breath-holding under close coaching supervision. Children should never practise breath-holding games or long underwater swims on their own, as this can be dangerous.
Build the foundation
Every artistic swimmer starts by learning to swim well. See our kids swimming course, SwimSafer preparation and 8 types of swimming strokes.
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- What to bring for baby swimming lessons10 must-have items for the swim bag
Sources
- World Aquatics, Men eligible to compete in artistic swimming at Paris 2024. Men eligible for the Olympic team event, with a maximum of two men per team.
- Swimming World, IOC approves men in artistic swimming for Paris 2024. Men have competed at the World Championships since 2015; artistic swimming has been an Olympic sport since 1984.
Build your child's swimming foundation
Tell us your child's age, their swimming experience and any sport they are interested in. We will suggest a suitable course, format and pool. Lessons run at public swimming complexes, private venues and condominium pools across Singapore.