Synchronized swimming requires a unique compination of overall body strength and flexibility, grace and beauty, split-second timing, musical interpretation, endurance, dramatic flair, and exceptional breath control.
   Synchronized swimmers perform strenuous movements upside down and underwater while holding their breath. Unusual, but vital, equipment helps the women maintain the illusion of effortlessness. A nose clip prevents water from entering the nose, allowing the swimmers to remain underwater for long periods. Gelatin keeps the hair in place. Make-up brings out the features.
   Most importantly, underwater speakers let the swimmers hear the music clearly while underwater, helping them achieve the split-second timing critical to synchronized swimming.
   Synchronized swimming has captured the attention of sports spectators worldwide. Today it ranks among the most popular of amateur sporting events. More than 80 nations on six continents compete in synchronized swimming.

Spectators have been awed by the grace and power of synchronized swimming since the beginning of the sport in the early 1900s. Originally known as water ballet, synchronized swimming began in Canada in the 1920s. It spread to the United States in the early 1930s, where a display at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair drew rave reviews. Its popularity soared further when Esther Williams performed in a string of MGM "aqua musicals" in the 1940s and '50s.

Synchronized swimming emerged as an exhibition sport at the Olympic Games from 1948 to 1968. After almost 40 years of concerted effort, synchronized swimming was at last included as a full medal sport in Los Angeles in 1984. It is open only to women. Three events are currently recognized internationally in synchronized swimming: solo, duet and team (eight swimmers). In the 1996 Olympic, the team event replaced solo and duet competition, which had been a part of the Olympic program since 1984. However, duets will be reinstated, in addition to the team event, for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Synchronized swimming events consist of one of three scoring formats: figures and free routine, technical and free routines, or figures, technical and free routines. (International events primarily use the technical and free routine format as in European Swimming championships).

Technical routine involves required technical elements that must be performed in a series including boosts, rockets, thrusts and twirls. The competitors choose their own music and add additional choreography, but can not perform elements out of order.

There are no restrictions on music, choreography or elements of the free routine.

Specified movements performed individually without music before a panel of judges. Figures are designed to determine a swimmer’s balance, flexibility, timing and ability to control movement.

The judging for synchronized swimming resembles the judging for figure skating. Two panels of five judges assess a performance: one panel scoring technical merit and the other assessing artistic impression, though as many as seven judges may be used on each panel. In both cases, judges award scores from 0 to 10 in one-tenth point increments.

Technical merit has three major components:

Artistic impression has also three components:

The highest and lowest of the scores awarded in each category are cancelled and the remaining scores averaged by the number of judges less two. The Technical Merit total is multiplied by six and the Artistic Impression score by four. The total of these two equals the final routine score.
   The routine scores are then weighted and added to reach the final score. The example below demonstrates the three different calculations for the three possible scoring formats.

Technical Merit:

Artistic Impression:

Technical Merit + Artistic Impression = Routine Score = 100 max.

(Figures x 0.35) + Free Routine x 0.65) = Final Score

OR

(Technical Merit x 0.35) + Free Routine x 0.65) = Final Score

OR

(Figures x 0.25) + (Technical Merit x 0.25) + (Free Routine x 0.50) = Final Score

The United States and Canada have won every gold and silver medal between them in the first four Olympic competitions, but their leading swimmers retired after the 1996 Olympic Games. Russia and Japan suddenly became the two leaders at the 1998 World Championships. China and in Europe France and Italy also have advanced significantly in the past two years.