The artistic swimming spectacle inaugurates today at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showcasing a significant deviation from previous renditions: Men have been granted the opportunity to compete for the inaugural time.

Per regulatory amendments decreed by the International Olympic Committee in December 2022, a cap of two men can integrate the octet ensemble for the team event, albeit their exclusion from the duet category remains intact.

Nonetheless, even the most scrutinizing onlookers would be hard-pressed to discern this alteration, as not a solitary male has been enlisted among the 96 competitors from 18 nations poised to contend in the aquatic arena.

Artistic swimming, formerly branded as synchronized swimming until its rebranding in 2017, possesses a labyrinthine and intricate history concerning male involvement.

This discipline burgeoned in popularity within the United States during the nascent half of the 20th century, where men initially played an integral role.

However, male participants were subsequently perceived as incongruent with the sport due to distinct physical attributes: They tended to be heftier, exhibited reduced flexibility – struggling with leg extensions – and were less buoyant compared to their female peers.

When artistic swimming was inaugurated into the Olympics in 1984, female exclusivity was mandated. This paradigm persisted for four decades – until the present juncture.

One American swimmer, 45-year-old Bill May, aspired that his Olympic aspirations would culminate in Paris; however, he was ultimately not chosen for the Team USA roster disclosed in June.

The octet of women selected will also partake in an innovative event – an acrobatic routine – which has been incorporated into this year’s program alongside technical and free routines.

Additionally, a revised scoring system has been introduced, which allocates points predicated on execution and artistic impression.

Coaches are now required to submit a card detailing the routine, enabling judges to assign a difficulty score. Should the routine deviate from the card or contain an error, the athletes will incur deductions.

A total of six medals are available, with China anticipated to clinch gold in both duet and team events, having emerged as a “dominant force” in recent years, as per the Olympics website.

Japan, the US, Spain, and Ukraine are also highlighted as teams to observe, while Mexico will debut in the artistic swimming Olympic realm.

The competition spans from August 5 to August 10, with medal ceremonies scheduled for August 7 for the team competition and August 10 for the duets.