Dangerous CO2 levels. Unflavored gelatin. Benjamin Franklin in a river.
This story examines a sport you might have ignored or joked about. But some facets of synchronized swimming – now called “artistic” swimming – could change your mind. @usaartswimming
latimes.com/sports/olympic…
The prevailing image of synchronized, or artistic, swimming changed in an instant last summer.
Anita Alvarez pushed too hard at the worlds, passed out and sank to the bottom. She now wonders if people look at her sport and see “how difficult it is.” latimes.com/sports/olympic…
Synchronized swimming is like gymnastics. Upside-down. Underwater.
How do they hold their breath? By relaxing their face muscles & pressing their tongue against the roof of their mouth. @TeamUSA latimes.com/sports/olympic…
And what about the makeup artistic swimmers wear? There’s a logic to it. They get scored on artistic impression, so judges need to see the difference between a smile and a grimace from 30 feet away. @fina1908 latimes.com/sports/olympic…
Synchronized swimming has a history dating back to Ben Franklin, an early practitioner. latimes.com/sports/olympic…
There’s science, too, because swimmers sometimes pass out in the pool. Experts say “shallow water blackout” involves a tricky oxygen and CO2 balance that can turn dangerous. @AquaticSafetyGr latimes.com/sports/olympic…
Southern California has a connection with synchronized/artistic swimming. Esther Williams movies from the 1940s helped develop a devoted fanbase and the '84 L.A. Olympics added the sport to the program. Now, the U.S. team trains at #UCLA for sunny weather. latimes.com/sports/olympic…
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