Have you ever wondered why men are not competing in the Olympics' synchronized swimming category though?
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| Olia Burtaev and Bianca Hammett, duet free routine (by: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin - wikimedia) |
Apparently, in the Olympics, synchronized swimming is considered a sport for women.
Now that males can compete in synchronized swimming, there is still the question of criteria. How will they be judged?
Alexander Maltsev, the Russian competitor says that "Most likely, they will judge us on the female rules." He added, "Men's choreography is different from women's. It's a completely different style."
Normally, men represent strength and power, while women represent beauty and grace.
According to the article, when Catherine "Kay" Curtis first wrote a rulebook for synchronized swimming in 1940, the sport was open to men and women alike. But in 1941, the Amateur Athletic Union decided to separate men and women. Supposedly, men should not be pitted against women.
As the article stated:
"It was designed for both sexes, and the AAU wanted it separate," says Bert Hubbard, who competed in synchronised swimming in the early 1950s. "But this whole idea that the male has so much more advantage in the water - if you're in the water you find out very quickly that being a man is more of a liability."
To make the long story short, the Olympic was determined to have sports for women and synchronized swimming was one of those classified as a "women's sport".
Do you think men should be allowed to compete in synchronized swimming against women? Share your thoughts!
