This question pops up from time-to-time. It’s funny, the idea of men doing synchro, but if I could get back to FINA Worlds in any aquatic event, including synchro, I’d go for it. Synchro is clearly a very serious sport and men should have the right to compete at the highest level. Alas, FINA does not allow men to compete in synchronized swimming. Why not? I don’t really know (and I’d appreciate anyone willing to explain it in the comments).
Via iPetition:
For many years, men have not been allowed to participate in synchronized swimming international competitions. It is time for a change! Just as it is in figure skating, it is possible to have both men and women enjoy competing in this sport together. If FINA accepts to start at the masters level, where there are more men in the sport, this may be a big step forward in synchro. So to all of the synchro lovers out there, please join us. Our goal is to have mixed categories at future FINA World Masters.
Click here to see “Synchro Men at FINA Worlds” on Facebook.
Sponsor: Redwood Empire Synchro San Francisco Tsunami
Editor note: I used the image of Felipe Lima because it’s awesome (thanks to photographer Mike Lewis) and we don’t have any photos of men performing in synchro. If you’d like to provide synchro images to SwimSwam, email us.
The question is specific to Masters, so, yeah, why not?
I do think it’s a shame that the international governing body lost unique opportunities to showcase the sport through people like Bill May and, recently, Kenyon Smith. These men received publicity for their attempts to make their way through the system, but my understanding is most officials haven’t really gone out of their way to create opportunities.
Wasn’t there a good Swedish movie about men’s synchro swim a few years back? I also remember it was hard for them to get pool time.
It seems fine if men would like to partake in syncro swimming, but it will do little to change the current status of this sport as one of the least popular and least followed on the planet.
If men can do figure skating they can do synchro. It’s basically dancing with h20 to music and costumes except the water isn’t frozen.
Men should be allowed in synchronized swimming and in rhytmic gymnastics (just like women should be given a canoe sprinting competition), but who would want to watch that? Maybe we could create a mixed synchronized swimming competition.
When I graduated from college I really didn’t know what direction to take my life. For 4 years I ended up working as a YMCA Aquatic Director because of the major impact competitive swimming had played in my life. In addition to coaching age-group and master’s swimming I supervised various programs, including the synchronized swimming program, and to do so I had to get National YMCA certification as a Synchro Instructor.
Synchronized swimming is serious exercise folks! Laugh all you want at the costumes and choreography, but those women you see performing have achieved an almost super-human ability to exert themselves while in an oxygen deprived state. It’s also a lot of fun and can be adapted to lots… Read more »
The girls are very acrobatic now . Since Russia showed the first somis there are moves akin to trampoline & Top gymnastic flight elements . The Russians are trained by the Bolshoi who also have very masculine m ballet dancers ( if you have not already noticed Spartacus – as only they do it ) .
I would have no objections . I could go for some men in gold hot pants flying throught the air . I could find a chorus – it’s raining men hallelujah ….
Synchro is an exhibition event at the Gay Games, so “It’s Raining Men” has probably already been done, though with more enthusiasm than skill.
I think there are some interesting possibilities with a mixed duet division. Take the them in another direction, more like a pairs figure skating vibe, and let the creative energy flow. (Just keep it PG-rated for the sake of the children and all)
It would also be interesting to see what the men and their better upper body strength could do with lifts in a mixed team event. Some of the all women’s teams are already getting serious air on those moves.