history - olympic games - competition - equipment & taking part - keeping score & rules

Equipment & Taking Part

Equipment

While it is not an event that lends itself to technological innovation, synchronized swimming does have its basic equipment. Of utmost importance is a set of underwater and poolside loudspeakers so swimmers can hear their music and stay in synch, whether submerged or performing with their heads above the surface.

Colorful and tastefully decorated suits and small head adornments lend to the choice of music and style of choreography. The hair is held securely and makeup is applied to enhance appearances as seen from a distance by the judges and audience.

The use of nose clips or some apparatus to prevent water from rushing into to the nostrils is important when inverted and whirling around with the head submerged.

Taking Part

Each nation is allowed two entries per individual event. Three per event were allowed in certain Games, such as Moscow in 1980 to make up in numbers for the loss of quality caused by the boycott of that year. However, the sight of swimmers from one nation keeping any others from an appearance on the medal podium was too much for Fina to bear and since Seoul in 1988, the entry has been restricted to two swimmers per nation.

There are qualifying standards, set by Fina, though these are relatively easy to achieve for the best among the world's leading swimmers. As such, leading swimming nations set their own selection criteria, often with tougher time standards than those set by the governing body and sometimes involving an element of cost; a full team of swimmers can be 50-strong and require a team staff of several coaches, several doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists and managers.

Fina pays the way of at least one swimmer from many developing nations to participate in the Games and therefore promote the sport in countries where the only pools of quality are those to be found in tourist hotels.

Many nations held Olympic trials. Australia held its trials at the Sydney Olympic pool in May, relatively early in the summer long-course season. Britain held its trials in Sheffield in July.

Pre-selection is almost impossible for such nations as Australia and the United States in that the depth of quality would make it unfair to select one swimmer over another by any other criteria than what is known as a "sudden-death" race. However, in Britain, where world-class performers are less common, pre-selection does take place. Among those who were pre-selected for Sydney are Paul Palmer, Britain's most successful male swimmer of the past five years, and Susan Rolph, the most successful woman swimmer. Both are European champions and both have achieved a time standard good enough to make them medal hopes.