Incredible photos show a side of synchronized swimming you've never seen before
Above the water, swimmers smile for the crowd and judges. But underwater, their faces show intense concentration.
Swimmers train to hold their breath for long periods of time.
“When you swim a whole routine, there are points when you really need air," American swimmer Mariya Koroleva recently told Team USA. "Your body almost starts doing these little convulsions but you can't come up. You have to stay under — so it's definitely a mental challenge as well as physical."
Source: Team USA
Many competitors wear contact lenses — even if their vision is perfect — because they protect swimmers' eyes from stinging pool chemicals.
Source: Team USA
Swimmers also wear nose clips to keep water from going up their noses. Most tuck a few spare pairs into their bathing suits in case of emergency.
Source: Team USA
Their embellished bathing suits add flare to the routines.
Synchronized swimming athletes are surprisingly prone to injuries.
“Because we swim so close together it’s very common to get hit,” Koroleva told Team USA. “We get bruises and cuts on our legs [...] and getting hit in the head happens a lot when someone goes off a lift and then lands on top of another swimmer by accident.”
![“Because we swim so close together it’s very common to get hit,” Koroleva told Team USA. “We get bruises and cuts on our legs [...] and getting hit in the head happens a lot when someone goes off a lift and then lands on top of another swimmer by accident.”](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53776346,width-700,height-525,imgsize-1058189/because-we-swim-so-close-together-its-very-common-to-get-hit-koroleva-told-team-usa-we-get-bruises-and-cuts-on-our-legs-and-getting-hit-in-the-head-happens-a-lot-when-someone-goes-off-a-lift-and-then-lands-on-top-of-another-swimmer-by-accident-.jpg)
Source: Team USA
"It is one of the toughest sports there is," Brazilian swimmer Maria Eduarda Miccuci told Reuters.
Source: Reuters
Swimmers endure long training sessions in the pool, but also cross-train on land with Pilates, weightlifting, ballet, and gymnastics.
Source: Team USA
And somehow, on competition day, they make everything look light and effortless.
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