ARTISTIC SWIMMING OLYMPIC THOUGHTS

By: Aqualillies Posted On: August 2, 2021

The time has (finally) come for Artistic Swimming at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics!! Artistic swimming (formerly known as synchronized swimming) is a women’s Olympic discipline which combines technical perfection, synchronisation, choreography, artistry and expressive power. Photo credit above: Team USA/Getty Images

At the Olympics, there is a Duet Event and a Team Event. Each Duet pair and Team completes a technical routine that includes a set of five designated movements lasting a maximum of 2 minutes, 50 seconds, as well as a free routine lasting three to four minutes. The routines are performed to music. Performances are scored ⁠— and teams ranked ⁠— on synchronisation, difficulty, technique and choreography.

The essence of the sport is a blend of artistry and athleticism: Artistic swimming became an Olympic discipline at the Los Angeles 1984 Games. Since then, the sport’s regulations have changed a number of times. Initially, the sport consisted of two events: a solo routine (one performer) and a duet (two). A team event (with eight athletes) was held at the Atlanta 1996 Games, then the duet returned at Sydney 2000. Subsequent Games have featured both duet and team events. Read more about the sport on the official Olympics website!

Continue reading for some Olympic thoughts from our ‘Lillies around the world …

FRANCESCA “FRANKIE” OWEN

Frankie represented Team Australia at the London 2012 Olympics (along with our other Australian ‘Lillies Olia, Jenny, and Eloise), and is now our Head of Aqualillies Australia as well as a Fine Art Photographer! She recently collaborated with the current Australian Artistic Swimming Olympic with “Ladies in Waiting”, an image series available as Fine Art prints through her website.

“I woke up this morning with a memory on facebook of me walking in the opening ceremony in the London Olympics, 2012. I’m now going to bed with such gratitude of coming full circle and being able to share my journey and creative eye with you all with these beautiful and talented ‘Ladies in Waiting’ for Tokyo 2020.

The ladies featured in the series are the Australian Artistic Swimming Olympians, who are on the precipice of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. This collection is my most personal yet, bringing me back to my own Olympics experience in 2012 where I wasn’t able to compete in the team event; naturally I was devastated but it is a reminder that at times life is unsynchronised and that there’s beauty in the imperfection.

It felt serendipitous to create this series, at the pool I used to train in and was a deep privilege to capture these talented athletes through my lens. This was ever more surreal as I could relate to their experience, and so intimately understand how they might be feeling.
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I hope you enjoy this series, and can take some positive meaning away from the collection. After all, we are all Ladies in Waiting, in some way or another… good luck to the dedicated ladies, finally able to get their time in Tokyo 💫”

NADINE BRANDL

Our Vegas ‘Lilly Nadine is a two-time Olympian, representing Austria in the Beijing 2008 and the London 2012 Olympics. After her Olympic career, she went on to swim in the Wynn Las Vegas show “La Rêve” until it shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Nadine performs with Aqualillies in events across the US West Coast, and is a featured performer in Cirque Du Soleil’s Las Vegas show “Ô”.

“People often asked me what it was like to compete in the Olympics and I often felt like ‘indescribable’ sums it up the best. It is an overwhelming experience on so many levels, but what stuck out to me, that in a way it felt like coming home. When I walked through the Olympic village, I knew that this was the one place in the world at this time, where all like-minded athlete came together that worked so hard for their dream. Everyone here was going through similar hard work, dedication, sacrifices to achieve this lifetime dream called Olympic Games. It was like the air was energized with this magic.

At my second Olympic Games in London 2012 my family was able to be in the audience and watch. Me and my partner had quite a good swim, and it meant the world to me that I had my family cheering in the crowd and experiencing those days with me, that we have worked so hard for every single day over so many years.”

MARGA CRESPÍ

Our California ‘Lilly Marga is an Olympic Champion from Spain, winning the Bronze Medal in the Team Event at the London 2012 Olympics. After her Olympic career, she went on to coach artistic swimming teams around the world, and swam in the Wynn Las Vegas show “La Rêve” as well. Marga performs with Aqualillies in events across the West Coast, and is part of the organizing committee for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games through the athlete fellow program.

“I am super lucky to say that I’ve been in the Olympics in different roles. In 2012 I was a swimmer and we were fighting for the medal, which we won. In 2016 I went as a coach for the Colombian duet and the experience felt completely different. As a swimmer, you have control and you know what you have to do. As a coach, you teach through your experience. But you don’t have control, since you’re not the one in the pool.

Being a swimmer brought me a lot of experience and learning and I was grateful to pass this knowledge on the Colombian duet. I never imagined that I could connect with them so well to lead them, with the head coach Paula Garcia, to their second Olympic Games.

If you have passion for something, it’s beautiful to share it with others that seek the same. It’s been a beautiful journey to experience both sides in my sport.”