THE BASICS OF SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING AND ITS INJURIES

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Have you ever jumped into the water and tried to twirl your feet in the air without drowning? How do synchronized swimmers make it look so effortless?

For many, when thinking of synchronized swimming, an image of young women in sequins floating in patterns on the water often comes to mind. Although this may have been true in the 1940s, today at the turn of the century it is far from the truth. Synchronized swimming has evolved into a complex, highly developed, physically intensive sport.

Synchronized swimming encompasses many attributes of sport: strength, power, flexibility, endurance, artistic expression, and performance. As a result of this complexity, the demands on the athlete are numerous, often resulting in injuries unique to the sport itself. As a sport medicine clinician, it is important to understand the basic structure of the sport, the demands on the synchronized swimmer, and the common injuries encountered.

Section snippets

HISTORICAL REVIEW

Synchronized swimming originated in the early 1900s. It was developed first by Annette Kellerman of the United States.17 The sport, then called “ornamental swimming,” was made famous by the Esther Williams movies in the United States. At that time, the focus of the sport was entertainment value. The routines were composed often of many floating patterns and visual effects.

Synchronized swimming left Hollywood and became a competitive sport with the development of International regulations by

COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE

Internationally, the rules and regulations for synchronized swimming originate from FINA. The FINA bureau is composed of representatives from 21 countries. A division of FINA known as the Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee meets annually to constantly revise and redefine the sport as it evolves. This committee consists of representatives from 12 countries.

The most important international event for synchronized swimming is the Olympic Games. Currently, the team and duet events are

JUDGING CRITERIA

As with other artistic sports, such as figure skating, diving, and gymnastics, synchronized swimming is a judged sport. The judges at international events are selected from participating countries. Each judge must have attained the highest level of judging competence in their respective countries and must be accepted as competent by FINA. Judges are constantly evaluated by FINA to ensure that standards of competence are being met.

At all international events, there are two judging panels, each

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

Most synchronized swimmers enter the sport as young girls at the recreational level. By the age of 13 to 15 years, the athletes who are more serious or talented may choose to train and compete at a more intense competitive level. In many countries, athletes that are at the National Team calibre of competence often train in congregated centers ensuring uniform training, adequate time together to perfect synchronization, and more effective resource use.

The components of a synchronized swimmer's

REVIEW OF COMMON MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

As in all aspects of sports medicine, familiarity with the common injuries for each specific sport facilitates the medical management of the athlete. This knowledge can ensure adequate prevention through a balanced training regimen, or if this is not possible, a regular surveillance program with early recognition and effective treatment to prevent the development of a chronic injury. Chronic injuries in synchronized swimmers can lead not only to missed valuable training time and subsequent

REVIEW OF COMMON MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

In addition to the musculoskeletal injuries listed previously, there are also specific medical issues that are common, although not exclusive, to synchronized swimmers. As a sports medicine physician, it is important to approach and evaluate the synchronized swimmer's medical status and his or her musculoskeletal status. A review of the five most common medical concerns that are encountered in clinical practice follows.

SUMMARY

Synchronized swimming is a complex, physically demanding sport. It is a challenging and interesting sport for the sports medicine clinician. There is opportunity for involvement in program development and in the treatment of medical illness and injury. There is also great potential for clinical research in synchronized swimming because of the paucity of published literature. Greater understanding of the competitive structure, training requirements, and common medical presentations facilitate

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank Dr. Kevin Samson, Dr. David Magee, and Synchro Canada for their assistance and contributions to this chapter.

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Address reprint requests to Margo Mountjoy MD, CCFP, Dip Sport Med., University of Guelph Sports Medicine Clinic, 570 Kortright Road West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 3W8

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Canadian Synchronized Swimming Team, Synchro Canada, Gloucester; the University of Guelph Sports Medicine Clinic, Guelph; and the South City Sports Medicine Clinic, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

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