All About Olympic Synchro Swimming - No boys allowed

Synchro is judged according to a format and criteria similar to figure skating judging, although usually with less intrigue and controversy. Both the duets and teams of eight perform a technical routine and a longer free routine. Each routine is judged on a combination of technical merit (execution, synchronization difficulty) and artistic impression (choreography, music interpretation and presentation).

High and low scores from judges are thrown out. The technical score is multiplied by six and the artistic score by four before they are added together, producing the final score for the routine. The free routine is worth 65 per cent of the final score, and the technical routine 35 per cent. (Please see the Synchro Glossary for descriptions of different movements and positions.)

Judges train their eyes on the precision of movements, the height out of the water attained in jumps and lifts and, of course, how closely the swimmers' movements follow the music and each other. Those are all things that underwater movement is working toward.

Synchronicity and symmetry are so important that some teams and duets take them to a genetic extreme. In 1992, both the American gold medal winners (Karen and Sarah Josephson) and the Canadian silver medal winners (Penny and Vicky Vilagos) were identical twin sisters.

The women from the Russian teams that have dominated since 1998 are reportedly selected partly on the basis of how similar in stature, build and appearance they are. It is perhaps that emphasis on appearance that loses sports purists, but like figure skating and gymnastics, aesthetics are an integral part of any sport in which judging is involved.

Synchronized swimming seems to be an absolutely easy exercise. However, under water, the sport demands much physical strength, stamina, suppleness, elegance and artistic quality. Moreover, one has to have excellent control over his or her breathing power. During the performance of synchronized swimming nose clips are a must for the swimmers. The nose clip helps a swimmer to remain immersed in water for long period. The swimmers use gelatin to keep the hair in place. During the program, an under water speaker is used to play the music so that the swimmers can hear it.

Synchronized swimming was included in the schedule of the Summer Games between 1948 and 1964 as an exhibition sport event. The sport appeared as a full medal sport event in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. In the Games, competition was held in two categories-duet and solo. The competition was open to only women. The solo competition was later replaced by the team competition in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games.

The 1992 Barcelona Olympic sychro competition had tragedy, confusion and a sneak peek of what was to come 10 years later in figure skating with Jamie Sale, David Pelletier and Skategate. Just competing had been a struggle for Canada's world champion Sylvie Frechette. Just days before she left for Barcelona found the body of her fiancé (television commentator Sylvain Lake), who had committed suicide.

What happened to Frechette in Barcelona seemed equally tragic and farcical. Frechette swam flawlessly in the compulsory figures program, but the Brazilian judge was less coordinated, entering a score of 8.7 instead of 9.7. The judge tried to rectify the situation, but the score stood, leaving her behind an American.

Though Frechette performed brilliantly, she had to content herself with a silver medal. Canadian IOC member Dick Pound made a successful appeal. In December 1993, 16 months after the Barcelona Games, Frechette was finally awarded the gold medal (which she shares with Babb-Sprague in the record books) in a ceremony at the Montreal Forum.

Frechette came out of two-and-a-half years of retirement to compete one more time at 29 years of age, this time in Atlanta's team competition. An Olympic gold and silver medal in her collection, Frechette moved to Las Vegas and produced Cirque du Soleil's water show, "O."

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