Wednesday, August 6, 2008

It is the only Olympic sport in which nose clips and hair gel constitute essential gear.

Mock it if you will, but synchronized swimming is among the more rigorous sports contested at the Games. And the athletes who compete in synchro (the preferred nickname) are no mere water nymphs.

They train as much as 10 hours a day, six days a week to build up their stamina, flexibility, lung capacity and grace. And their routines are judged on both technical merit and artistic merit -- a highly subjective component that encompasses choreography, music interpretation, presentation and ability to smile.

In the duet, 24 pairs compete, performing a technical routine (2 minutes 20 seconds) and a free routine (3 minutes 30 seconds). The field is culled to 12 duets for the final, in which each pair repeats its free routine.

In duet, as in team, movements must be perfectly synchronized and in time with the music, pumped in through underwater speakers. The goal is to make the routine look seamless and effortless above the water, while kicking furiously below the water. And, of course, to smile while doing it.

-- Liz Clarke