Artistic swimming, used to be known as synchronized swimming, is to make history at the 2024 Paris Olympics with its inclusion of male athletes.
Athletes make their routine look effortless but training for artistic swimming is grueling, according to two-time American Olympian Anita Alvarez who nearly drowned in 2022.
“We're training eight-plus hours a day, treading water all day,” she said. “You have to be able to count time and work with music. You have to be able to watch your patterns and stay in line. We don't wear goggles when we compete. You're holding your breath. You don't touch the bottom. There are so many elements that go into it that don't see.”
