Synchronized swimming is a sport that involves completing elaborate tricks and routines in the water all while coordinated with music. This sport combines coordination with a team, technical ability to stay and move underwater, and artistic grace. The players are essentially swimmers with some competing in solos, duets, or in a team of anywhere from 4-8 people. The synchronized swimming community can range quite a bit, but can be ascribed to the general public. It is an accessible and fairly digestible sport, as it is essentially a performance. It does seem to have a more predominately female audience, however, it is a sport that can easily be appreciated by many kinds of people. The rules of synchronized swimming involve not touching the bottom on the pool, using specific technical elements, and staying in dress-codes. These rules play to a more traditionally female audience, as the rules require a certain level of grace and attention to detail in each move. This sport has an interesting history, as in the 19th century it was a male-only categorized sport. However, in the 20th/21st century it changed to being female dominated and men were even prohibited from many competitions including the Olympics.
My personal views about the interplay between the sport and gender are that it is interpreted as a highly female dominated, but also challenges current gender dynamics. In the video, you can see that the competitors dress in flashy swim costumes and have their makeup done. Part of the sport is the presentation appeal and what you can or can not wear. It plays into the idea that this sport is highly feminine and female dominated. However, if you look closer into the types of tricks done in each routine, each trick involves incredible amounts of strength, endurance, and flexibility all masked by elegance. I believe synchronized swimming is more of a silent display of more “masculine” elements of a sport, and is just as demanding as a sport like football would be. In this sport, “wildness” is seen in the crazy amount of strength required, but also in the mesmerizing and exciting choreography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7jiAKtOnXI
-elina chen
Wow, this is very well written. I love how you put it all together. The point you made about how it is female-dominated, and yet takes an amazing amount of strength is on the money. This sport truly is impressive because of the amount of strength, skill, and practice required from everyone to nail the routine.
I really enjoyed your views towards the synchronized swimming and how there is much more effort behind the sport. The mix of both strength and coordination definitely feels like why the core idea of the sport is so great. Additionally, I was surprised to hear that synchronized swimming started as a male-only sport.
Wow!! I never knew how intense and skillful synchronized swimming was! I found it interesting how it was originally male dominated and now its female dominated. I wonder if the sport became more feminine as in the makeup and clothing as more females participated. After watching the video, I can see why you compared it to football. It looks simple yet you have to have a lot of strength and flexibility to do that. Not to mention that its in water, making it more difficult. I love your perspective on this and how you explained it.
This is a great post talking about synchronized swimming! I love how you describe the sport as having both feminine and masculine aspects. It really opens my perspective into the sport a little bit more and explains the dichotomy in the aspects of both genders in the sport!
This is a great post talking about synchronized swimming! I love how you describe the sport as having both feminine and masculine aspects. It really opens my perspective into the sport a little bit more and explains the dichotomy in the aspects of both genders in the sport!
It really surprised me when you mentioned that men were actually banned from participating in synchronized swimming in the Olympics at one point. I also think the point about the makeup and dress code as being feminine-dominant was fair and explains why there are so many more female synchronized swimmers than male.