Men Allowed in Artistic Swimming Teams for 2024 Paris Olympics
For the first time in Olympic history, men can join artistic swimming teams at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The rule change allows up to two men per country in the team competition. Despite no men selected for Paris 2024, the move aims to grow the sport and attract male athletes, promoting gender parity at the Games.
#Olympics #ArtisticSwimming #GenderParity #SportsEquality #Paris2024
#Olympics #ArtisticSwimming #GenderParity #SportsEquality #Paris2024
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00For the first time in Olympic history, men are allowed to be a part of the artistic swimming
00:06teams for the 2020 for Paris Olympics.
00:10According to NBC Olympics, the new rules now say that up to two men per country may compete
00:16in the team competition, which features teams of eight athletes.
00:21The rule change to the synchronized swimming competition was first reported by the Associated
00:26Press back in July 2023 at the World Aquatics Championships.
00:32I think it's a huge opportunity for the sport to grow and attract more men, American synchronized
00:38swimmer Bill May told the AP at the World Aquatics Championships in 2023.
00:45By keeping men out, you're limiting the sport.
00:47By including men, you're going to see an upshift in the popularity and the numbers.
00:54The sport was first introduced as synchronized swimming at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984
01:00and only allowed women to be a part of the team.
01:04Men are already permitted to compete in the lower level competitions for artistic swimming,
01:09but previously had been shut out from earning a spot on the Olympic team.
01:14There has always been that misconception that it's a female only sport or that it's for
01:19wimps or that it's not a difficult sport, May continued.
01:25Anyone that has anything negative to say about the sport boy, female, anyone, just try it
01:30and you'll know it's the most difficult sport in the world.
01:34However, even with the new rule change, no men were selected for any of the artistic
01:39swim teams and they will not compete at the Paris Games.
01:44World Aquatics is very disappointed that no male artistic swimmers have been selected
01:49for Paris 2-0-4, World Aquatics' governing body said in a statement, per the AP.
01:56This should have been a landmark moment for the sport and all of us in the artistic swimming
02:01community need to work even harder to progress opportunities for male athletes in the sport.
02:08Despite the artistic swimming teams not including men, the International Olympic Committee IOC
02:14confirmed in March 2023 that the 2020 for Paris Games will be the first time the Olympics
02:20will achieve numerical gender parity.
02:23The IOC confirmed that out of the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games, 5,250 will be
02:32men and 5,250 women.