Synchronized Swimming: The Pursuit of Excellence is a one-hour show on PBS focusing on the difficult sport. "Synchro," as it is called by the athletes, might look easy but there is a lot of training involved. These athletes must be good at swimming, gymnastics, and several other activities that are required by this demanding sport.
The team from the Santa Clara Aquamaids is one of the best in the country, coached by Chris Carver who coached an Olympic gold medal team. The members of the Aquamaids (and there is one male in this group) train six hours a day, six days a week, in order to make their routines look easy and fun. When they're not training they're exercising and rehearsing - on dry land. Their families have sacrificed a lot to move to this place where their kids can get the best training in this sport.
The film ends with the U.S. Open, which is the end to the Synchronized swimming season. Here the Aquamaids compete against the U.S. team, the Canadian team, a fun team from Minnesota and others.
Throughout the hour viewers see the training the athletes undertake and are introduced to many of the swimmers who discuss their experiences in the sport and what they hope to accomplish.
This is an interesting look at a sport most people do not know much about. It will give viewers an appreciation of what these young athletes go through, and perhaps inspire some couch potatoes to dive in.
Synchronized Swimming: The Pursuit of Excellence airs July 11 at 8 PM ET.
The Pursuit of Excellence is a four-part series. Each film focuses on a different subject. Ferrets will air July 18, Hairworld will air July 27, and Lords of the Gourds will air sometime this fall.
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My daughter started out in this sport with park and rec and moved to the competition level about 4 years ago. she has never been forced to participate. For 7 years this has always been her decision and her passion has not diminished.
We are from a small team which strives to stay afloat financially. Most people think that swimming would be inexpensive, NOT!! For a small team of about 35 swimmers our pool fees range about $3,000 a month, no break from the city. Sometimes we even have trouble getting a pool to swim in. Between water polo, speed swim, diving, and synchro our fairly large desert town does not have enough space to accommodate all of us. Great coaches and choreographers cost money too (they are not volunteers). Parents are always volunteering to help out, but the expertise required in this sport, does not really allow us to do any volunteer coaching. By the way, one of our best choreographers and coaches is male and many of the former Olympic synchro swimmers do go on to swim in Cirque Shows. This is a great, no fabulous sport which gets very little media attention. This is unfortunate!!! It would be great to get coverage on ESPN or the major networks, if just for our larger international competitions. The girls love watching their National Teams compete and at this time we are lucky to see it on a webcast. By the way youtube has the National Team combo routine in full from the world cup in Russia.Ti's awesome.
And one more thing: It would be a right way to satisfy all kind of different opinions as to open Mix Pair Duet Competitions on National level regardless of how high the demand for it (change the rule if that's the case), then it will follow Internationally.
Wasn't this sport named one of the 5 most difficult? Why, ...we want to know?! Some are sure it's most difficult sport ever, is that right? Do other sports feel out of place to be in line of difficulty with this "girly" sport? CHIKENS if they do... Well! would be interesting to read debates... I think female and male athletes have different strengths, some could be stronger in certain activities then others... and what a male athlete doing in synchronized swimming if this is Women only Olympic sport? What is his future afterwards at the ore Olympic level? We have to respect all kind of sports and if synchronized swimming most difficult one, please don't discriminate - so be it, and respect all kind of athletes... we had a chance to see online US National team in World cup (or same level competition) swim. Our boys dropped on the floor, didn't say a word... They are in water polo, and their comments were: some moves are impossible!. It was fascinating! Mesmerizing! They swim only few minutes, but how beautiful, how effortless, you never know until you learn. It was like Cirque Du Soleil performance in Las Vegas, but in a much higher level!
I was always curious...