SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Artistic swimming, the sport formerly known as synchronized swimming, made its Olympic debut in Los Angeles 40 years ago and there’s a group of elite competitors training for international competition in Arizona.
Scottsdale Synchro represented the United States at the PanAm Aquatic Championships in Lima, Peru, earlier this month, with the team of eight athletes earning first place in the senior free and senior tech categories. Artistic swimming requires endurance, strength, precision, and grace in the pool, as coach Xinya "Olivia" Zhang explained. Athletes travel from near and far to train with Zhang, who competed for the Chinese National Team.
“The sport is a combination of swimming, acrobatics, dancing in the water, flexibility, strength, and conditioning… It just requires a lot. It's a very demanding sport,” Zhang said. “We have swimmers coming from Connecticut, from Texas, California, Nevada, and also one swimmer from China.”
The athletes at Scottsdale Synchro learn how to execute skills like treading water, spinning upside down, breath holding and flying through the air with a smile. They’re not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool, requiring them to use their strength to push and lift teammates out of the water. To prepare for the PanAm Championships, the team practiced anywhere from three to five hours a day throughout the summer, sometimes even wearing long sleeves, leggings, and weights in the water for resistance training.
It's a challenge 15-year-old Sophie Schroeder has been accepting since she fell in love with the sport nine years ago. The Scottsdale native is already looking at college programs and her sights are set on the Olympics. Schroeder and her duet partner Mona Schwickert earned first place in the senior free duet category at the PanAm Aquatic Championships, adding to an impressive resume.
When the summer Olympics return to Los Angeles in 2028, keep an eye out for the elite athletes who could be representing Scottsdale Synchro and competing for gold in the pool.
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on X and Instagram: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, email Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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