About “Synchro”- what’s this sport all about?
Highly trained High Performance athletes make Artistic Swimming look effortless. In fact, this demanding sport requires strength, endurance, flexibility, grace and artistry, and exceptional breath control.
Artistic Swimming or “synchro” athletes develop coordination, strength, agility, power and grace. Through teamwork, they develop self-discipline and self-confidence. Athletes of the sport have holistic training in so many different sports and activities; including speed swimming, diving, dance, gymnastics & acrobatics, weight training, Pilates and yoga, cardio, musical development, acting, stage-performance. Synchro has it all!
Artistic swimmers work in teams of 4-10 swimmers of a similar age and ability range and learn a choreographed and acrobatic dance in the water from their coach.
Artistic swimming is a judged sport. The performance is judged on two marks: Technical Merit and Artistic Impression. Athletes also compete individually in front of a panel of judges to perform 4 randomly selected figures at every competition. Read more about synchro competitions in our Aquatica Competitions Guidebook.
Of Note:
- Synchro is Canada’s most successful amateur sport. Synchro athletes have medaled in every World Championships between 1974 and 1999, and every Olympic Games since 1984 through 2000.
- Synchro is overall the third best performing sport in Canada according to Sport Canada.
- Canadian synchronized swimmers won gold in both Team and Duet at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.