00:00For the first time in Olympic history, men are allowed to be a part of the artistic swimming
00:06teams for the 2020 for Paris Olympics.
00:10According to NBC Olympics, the new rules now say that up to two men per country may compete
00:16in the team competition, which features teams of eight athletes.
00:21The rule change to the synchronized swimming competition was first reported by the Associated
00:26Press back in July 2023 at the World Aquatics Championships.
00:32I think it's a huge opportunity for the sport to grow and attract more men, American synchronized
00:38swimmer Bill May told the AP at the World Aquatics Championships in 2023.
00:45By keeping men out, you're limiting the sport.
00:47By including men, you're going to see an upshift in the popularity and the numbers.
00:54The sport was first introduced as synchronized swimming at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984
01:00and only allowed women to be a part of the team.
01:04Men are already permitted to compete in the lower level competitions for artistic swimming,
01:09but previously had been shut out from earning a spot on the Olympic team.
01:14There has always been that misconception that it's a female only sport or that it's for
01:19wimps or that it's not a difficult sport, May continued.
01:25Anyone that has anything negative to say about the sport boy, female, anyone, just try it
01:30and you'll know it's the most difficult sport in the world.
01:34However, even with the new rule change, no men were selected for any of the artistic
01:39swim teams and they will not compete at the Paris Games.
01:44World Aquatics is very disappointed that no male artistic swimmers have been selected
01:49for Paris 2-0-4, World Aquatics' governing body said in a statement, per the AP.
01:56This should have been a landmark moment for the sport and all of us in the artistic swimming
02:01community need to work even harder to progress opportunities for male athletes in the sport.
02:08Despite the artistic swimming teams not including men, the International Olympic Committee IOC
02:14confirmed in March 2023 that the 2020 for Paris Games will be the first time the Olympics
02:20will achieve numerical gender parity.
02:23The IOC confirmed that out of the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games, 5,250 will be
02:32men and 5,250 women.
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