Editing Synchronized swimming (section)

== Competitions ==
{{Globalize|section|Anglophone|2name=[[English-speaking world|the English-speaking world]]|date=February 2011}}
Competitors wear a [[noseclip]] to keep water from entering their nose when submerged. While competing, hair is typically worn in a bun and [[gelatin]] is applied to keep the hair in place. Rarely, swimmers compete with custom-made swimming caps in place of their hair in buns.

Competitors wear custom swimsuits, usually elaborately decorated with bright fabric and sequins to reflect the music to which they are swimming. Headpieces are part of the costume, and attached to the bun. Athletes are not permitted to wear goggles during competition. Athletes will normally compete wearing makeup. 

Underwater speakers ensure that swimmers can hear the music and synchronize with each other. 

=== Figures ===

A figure is a combination of body movements, similar to a technical required element. They are performed outside of a routine, and without music accompaniment, in front of a panel of judges. Figures are competed by younger swimmers, generally under the age of sixteen, instead of the technical routine. The scores of the figures competition will contribute to the free routine scores. The origin of figures in the sport comes from [[compulsory figures]] in figure skating. 

=== United States ===

In the United States, competitors are divided into groups by age. The eight age groups are: 12 and under, 13–15, 16–17, 18–19, Junior (elite 15–18), Senior (elite 15+), Collegiate, and Master. In addition to these groups, younger swimmers may be divided by ability into 3 levels: Novice, Intermediate, and age group. Certain competitions require the athlete(s) to pass a certain Grade Level. Grades as of now range from Level one to Level six, and will soon go to Level ten. Seasons range in length, and some swimmers participate year-round in competitions. There are many levels of competition, including but not limited to: State, Regional, Zone, National, Junior Olympic, and US Junior and Senior Opens. Each swimmer may compete in the following routine events: solo, duet, combo (consisting of ten swimmers), and team (consisting of eight swimmers). In the 12 & under and 13-15 age groups, figure scores are combined with routines to determine the final rankings. The 16-17 and 18-19 age groups combine the scores of the technical and free routines to determine the final rankings. USA Synchro's annual [[Intercollegiate sports team champions#synchronized Swimming|intercollegiate championships]] have been dominated by The Ohio State University, Stanford University, Lindenwood University (which no longer has a collegiate program), and The University of the Incarnate Word.

=== Canada ===

In Canada, as of 2010, synchronized swimming has an age-based structure system with age groups 10 & under, 12 & under, and 13–15 for the provincial levels. There is also a skill level which is 13–15 and juniors (16–18) known as national stream, as well as competition at the Masters and University levels. The 13–15 age group and 16–18 age group are national stream athletes that align with international age groups – 15 and Under and Junior (16–18) and Senior (18+) level athletes. Wildrose age group is for competitors before they reach 13–15 national stream. Wildrose ranges from Tier 8 and under 16 and over provincial/wildrose. These are also competitive levels. Recreational levels, called "stars", also exist. Synchro Canada requires that a competitor must pass Star 3 before entering Tier 1. To get into a Tier a swimmer must take a test for that Tier. In these tests, the swimmer must be able to perform the required movements for the level. (Canada no longer uses Tiers as a form of level placement). The Canadian University synchronised swimming League (CUASL) is intended for Canadian Swimmers who wish to continue their participation in the sport during their university studies, as well as offering a "Novice" category for those new to the sport. Traditionally, the top teams hail from McGill University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of British Columbia.

{{Further|Canadian University Synchronized Swimming League}}

=== Men's and mixed competition ===
[[File:Mixed duet free final (33).jpg|thumb|A mixed-sex pair, participating in [[FINA World Championships]] of synchronised swimming, waves to the crowd before [[diving (sport)|diving]] into water.]]
Some international, national and regional competitions allow men to compete, and the [[Fédération internationale de natation]] (FINA) introduced a new mixed duet competition at the [[2015 World Aquatics Championships]].

In the late 19th century, synchronised swimming was a male-only event.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britishswimming.org/browse-sport/synchronised-swimming/learn-more-about-synchro/history-synchro/ |title=History of Synchro |website=[[British Swimming (organisation)|British Swimming]] |access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> However, in the 20th century it became a women's sport, with men banned from many competitions. In the U.S., men were allowed to participate with women until 1941, when synchronised swimming became part of the [[Amateur Athletic Union]] (AAU).<ref name=bbc>{{cite news |last=Kremer |first=William |date=21 July 2015 |title=Why can't men be Olympic synchronised swimmers? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33566335 |work=[[BBC]] |access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> The AAU required men and women to compete separately, which resulted in a decline of male participants. In the 1940s and 1950s, [[Bert Hubbard]] and Donn Squire were among the top US male competitors.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o-dD3p8eTYUC Dawn Pawson Bean: Synchronized swimming – An American history.] McFarland Company Inc. Publishers, Jefferson (North Carolina, USA), 2005. Page 51.</ref>

In 1978, the U.S. changed their rules to allow men to once again compete with women. Rules in other countries varied; in the UK, men were prohibited from competing until 2014, while in France, Benoît Beaufils was allowed to compete at national events in the 1990s. American [[Bill May (synchronised swimmer)|Bill May]] was a top competitor in the late-1990s and early-2000s. He medalled in several international events, including the [[1998 Goodwill Games]]. However, male competitors were barred from top competitions, including the [[World Aquatics Championships]] and the [[Olympics]]. However, at the [[2015 World Aquatics Championships]], FINA introduced a new mixed duet discipline. Both May and Beaufils returned from decade-long retirements to represent their countries.<ref name=bbc/> Among their competitors were Russian [[Aleksandr Maltsev (synchronised swimmer)|Aleksandr Maltsev]] and Italian [[Giorgio Minisini]], both over 15 years younger than May and Beaufils. Pairs from ten countries competed in the inaugural events.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://omegatiming.com/Competition?id=00010F0300FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |title=16th FINA World Championships |website=[[Omega Timing]] |access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=July 2019}} The [[2016 European Aquatics Championships]] was the first time men were allowed to compete at the European Championships. While men are allowed in more events, they were still barred from competing in the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]. FINA did propose adding the mixed duet competition to the [[2020 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Synchronized-Swimming/Features/2017/April/12/FINA-Proposes-Adding-Mixed-Duet-And-More-Teams-At-2020-Olympics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629215856/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Synchronized-Swimming/Features/2017/April/12/FINA-Proposes-Adding-Mixed-Duet-And-More-Teams-At-2020-Olympics |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |title=FINA Proposes Adding Mixed Duet And More Teams At 2020 Olympics |work=Team USA |access-date=2018-09-25 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2022, [[FINA]] allowed men to compete as soloists at the [[2022 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series]] and the [[2022 FINA World Junior Artistic Swimming Championships]] and [[LEN]] allowed men to compete as soloists both at the European Junior Championships and the [[2022 European Aquatics Championships]].<ref name="F24w13Aug2022"/><ref name="Boutin22Aug2022"/> The [[International Olympic Committee]] allowed for the participation of up to two men per team of eight in a mixed gender team event at the [[2024 Olympic Games]], competition of men in duet, solo, and men-only team events was not permitted.<ref name="FINA22Dec2022"/> The mixed team format for the 2024 Olympic Games was adapted from the mixed team format, up to two men allowed per team, used at the 2022 FINA Artistic Swimming World Series (March to May 2022).<ref name="FINA22Dec2022"/><ref name="FINA10Jan2022">[https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2022/01/10/52f38b52-68d7-49f6-9e8c-770b9d9da922/FINA-ASWS-2022-Rules-Regulations.pdf "Artistic Swimming World Series: Rules & Regulations 2022 Edition"]. ''[[FINA]]''. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.</ref>

Men's solo events debuted at the senior World Championships level at the [[2023 World Aquatics Championships]] with solo technical and solo free routines.<ref name="WoAq13Jan2023"/>