Artistic Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

The two synchronised swimming events (duet and team) were held at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre in Rio, with Colombia making their Olympic début whilst Canada, France, Mexico and the USA were appearing for the ninth time. Amongst the competitors were five sets of twins: Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri (Austria), Beatriz and Branca Feres (Brazil), Aleksandra and Yekaterina Nemich (Kazakhstan), Nada and Nehal Saafan (Egypt) and Etel and Sofía Sánchez (Argentina).

Swimmers were assessed in three categories: execution, difficulty and artistic impression – including choreography, music interpretation and presentation. The swimmers were not allowed to use the bottom of the pool for support and could not help a team-mate. Bikinis were not allowed. There were some slight modifications for 2016. Instead of two panels of seven judges there were three panels of five judges and, in the qualification section of the duet competition, the free routine element was moved to come before, rather than after, the technical routine. After those two routines the top 12 qualified for the final when the scores from the free routine element were removed and those from the final free routine added in their place to establish the final positions.

Going into the Rio Games, Russia had won all eight gold medals on offer since 2000 and, at the end of competition, that figure read all ten because they won both golds, with China taking the two silvers and Japan the bronze medals. Nataliya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina won two golds and added to the three each they had previously won in 2008 and 2012, as they joined fellow Russian Anastasiya Davydova as the most decorated synchronised swimmers.

The synchronised swimming pool at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre turned a murky green colour five days before the start of the event and, whilst it did not offer a health hazard, it looked strange to see the diving competition taking place in such an environment. The pool was drained and refilled with nearly a million gallons of water from the adjacent practice pool, however, to return it to its clear blue colour in an operation that was completed just four hours before the start of competition.