In honor of the Paris Olympic Games 2024, Google has released a charming Google Doodle dedicated to artistic swimming, a sport that combines elements of swimming, gymnastics, and dance.
On August 5, Google unveiled an animated Doodle showcasing three ducks performing artistic swimming routines in a fountain, while other ducks cheer from the sidelines. The playful Doodle underscores the sport’s blend of synchronized movement and artistic flair, with Google noting, “The Artistic Swimming competitors have two things on their mind: sync AND swim!”
Artistic Swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Artistic swimming has been a part of the Summer Games since 1984, initially including women’s duet and solo categories. At the Paris Olympics 2024, the sport will feature two medal events: Duet and Team. The artistic swimming competition is scheduled to take place from August 5 to August 11 at the Paris Aquatics Centre.
This year, the competition format has been updated. Ten teams will compete in Team Free, Team Technical, and Team Acrobatic events over three nights. Unlike the World Aquatics Championships, where medals are awarded separately for each event, the Olympic medals will be based on an aggregate score across all three events.
Check out the Google Doodle GIF below:
Historical Context and Current Competition
China has been a dominant force in artistic swimming, winning five of six gold medals in team events at the past two World Championships. Spain, Japan, the United States, Ukraine, and Italy have also made significant contributions to the sport. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee athletes won gold in the Team event, ahead of China and Ukraine. The Tokyo Team event consisted of only two routines, but in Paris, teams will perform three routines across three nights. The final score and medal placements will be based on the cumulative points from Team Technical, Team Free, and Team Acrobatic routines.
Evolution of the Sport
The sport, formerly known as “synchronized swimming,” was renamed to “artistic swimming” in 2017 by the international governing body for aquatic sports. This change was made to better reflect the sport’s artistic and synchronized elements and to reduce confusion about the term “synchronized,” which previously suggested synchronization only with music rather than with other swimmers.
Google’s Doodle not only celebrates the artistry and athleticism of this unique sport but also brings attention to its rich history and evolution in the Olympics.
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