Artistic swimming glossary

The swimmer begins in the dolphin position and rotates her body while her legs and hips remain on the surface. She takes the front pike position and simultaneously raises her legs in a vertical folded leg position. After performing a U-turn holding the position, her bent leg stretches until it is in an upright position. Finally, the swimmer performs a vertical descent.

The figure begins in a walkover back to the split position. The swimmer maintains her leg position relative to the surface while her hips rotate 180°. The figure ends in a walkover front.

The swimmer is lying on the water, keeping the feet, thighs, trunk and head on the surface of the water.

The ankles, hips and head should be aligned.

Sequence of movements to music. Ballets can be performed as a group, solo or duet. They can be free, that is to say created with the music of the swimmers' choice within a given time, or technical, with figures imposed in a determined order.

One of the best-known figures in artistic swimming. It involves lying down on your back, legs outstretched, then folding one leg towards you (in the sailboat position) and stretching it upwards so as to form a right angle with your body. The ballet leg can also be done underwater, in this case, the water must come between the knee and the ankle of the raised leg.

Lying on the back, the legs rise and the body is immersed to a rear pike position (the water level does not exceed the ankles). Then the body thrusts to the vertical position in order to achieve a vertical descent, at the same rate as the thrust. There are different variants of this figure, including one during which a spin is made in a vertical descent.

This is also an imposed figure, which must be carried out in more specific manner. Lying on the back, the legs are raised and the body is immersed to a rear pike position (the water level does not exceed the ankles). Then the body thrusts to the vertical position in order to achieve a vertical descent, at the same rate as the thrust. There are different variants of this figure, including one during which a spin is made in a vertical descent.

See Tub.

The body is in the layout position (front, back, vertical or arched) with one leg bent, the toe touching the inside of the leg stretched between the knee and the thigh.

Suspending your breathing for a given time. Having good breath control is essential for swimmers in carrying out certain complex underwater figures.

The body is in an upright position and the lower back is slightly arched. One leg is stretched back, on the surface of the water. The head, shoulders and hips should be perfectly aligned.

Set of movements and artistic figures on music based on technical know-how. In a competition, the goal is to show your abilities as much as possible, within a defined period of time.

It is also essential to differentiate yourself by being original, while maintaining harmony with the musical rhythm.

A combo is a ballet which takes a longer time and which is involves eight to ten athletes. It is a mix between solos, duets and team ballets, although a change in regulations also authorizes trios, quartets or other teams.

The swimmer begins in the lying position on the back, raises a ballet leg and rotates her body to move into the flamingo position. Her horizontal leg then joins the stretched one and she makes a vertical descent into the water.

The edge of the pool where the swimmers begin their choreography.

This is the name that swimmers use to talk about the disconnection of the movements of their arms and legs (especially when moving such as when eggbeating).

The figure begins lying on the back, in a cambered position where the legs are held together and the head, hips and legs follow a curve, the Dolphin arch. The body then follows the circumference of a circle of about 2.5 meters in diameter (depending on the size of the athlete), until the swimmer finds herself on the surface in a position lying on her back.

When lying on your back, the legs are stretched perpendicular to the surface. The lower back is underwater and the head is aligned with the bust. The double ballet leg can also be performed underwater: the stretched legs are then perpendicular to the rest of the body.

The choreographies are repeated by the swimmers on the deck of the pool, dry, before performing them in the water. The arms imitate the movements of the legs.

Figure carried out by two swimmers.

Swimming technique that only uses the legs in an alternating rotational movement.

Swimmers can also use their hands in a “flat scull” movement to keep themselves on the surface.

This is a jump from the poolside that allows you to enter the water cleanly. The swimmer makes a swing movement with her arms before folding them along the body, stretched, and entering the water straight. The jump can also be achieved with a turn, in which case the swimmer performs a horizontal rotation of 360° in the air, before entering the water.

Sequence of several positions with the legs and movements to form a whole.

Position identical to that of the flamingo but the foot of the horizontal leg always remains on the surface (regardless of the height of the hips).

The body is in a horizontal position with one leg perpendicular to the surface.

The second leg is bent, with the calf at the level of the leg at a right angle.

The face is out of the water, and the foot and the knee are aligned horizontally on the surface.

This position can also be underwater, in this case, only the tip of the foot protrudes from the surface.

The body is in an upright position, with one leg lowered 90° to the surface of the water.

In team ballet, this is the placement of swimmers in order to draw geometric shapes on the surface of the water (square, rhombus, diamond, star, circle, etc). In the technical program, certain formations are compulsory such as circles or lines. The transition from one formation to another can be carried out underwater or else by displacement.

The body is lying on the water, but this time, the heels, buttocks and upper back are on the surface. The head can be in or out of the water.

This is started lying prone to fully immerse the bust perpendicular to the surface. Only the legs and buttocks remain on the surface of the water.

The body is immersed perpendicular to the surface, with one leg stretched laterally and the other vertically.

Show which consists of the representation of a ballet by the swimmers of the same group.

Show which consists of the representation of a ballet by the swimmers of the same group.

Food ingredient used by swimmers during competitions and galas to maintain their hair during performances.

How to prepare your gelatin

It all starts with powdered gelatin and warm water; that's why most teams, during competitions, bring their kettles! In terms of proportions, it's 50/50; the same amount of boiling water as gelatin! First put the gelatin, then the water, in a container, ideally a glass, and mix quickly to avoid lumps. Be careful, it's very hot! The final texture should be neither too liquid nor too thick. The more liquid it is, the more the gelatin will tend to dissolve in the water; the thicker the mixture, the more difficult it will be to apply. Don't panic: you can always add gelatin or hot water to get the right mixture.

A ballet swum by up to 10 people and which is mainly centred on lifts. A certain number of lifts is required, a contact figure as well as a "kaleidoscope" or float. The time is shorter than for the other ballets.

These are complex figures, during which a swimmer is carried or thrown out the water

into the air thanks only to the thrust of the other synchros (who must not touch the bottom of the pool).

The best-known lifts are throws (in which a swimmer is propelled above the surface and performs a figure in the air). They are figures widely acclaimed during competitions, especially during the world championships.

A must for artistic swimming ballets. It is waterproof to hold during the entire performance. Eye make-up is highly vivid so that the swimmers' expressions can be seen from afar (by the public and the jury). It generally respects the colour code of the swimsuits and the caps of the swimmers, in order to maintain aesthetic consistency. It also helps to make the swimmer feel more physically fit.

Music is one of the most important elements in artistic swimming, it is what sets the tone for ballet. It adds momentum and rhythm to the theme and therefore to the choreographic movements. There is no restriction on the choice of music, but rhythmic music is usually preferred.

This makes it easier for the swimmers to count time to be perfectly synchronised.

In a free ballet, or during certain competition events, the swimmers create a choreography in music themselves.

Metal accessory, covered with plastic which prevents water from entering the nostrils by tightening them.

It is widely used due to the many underwater figures performed by swimmers.

The swimmer starts underwater, the body bent at 45° at the hips, with the legs joined and stretched. The back remains straight and perpendicular to the surface, while the head is aligned with the bust.

The swimmer starts in a back layout position, one leg permanently on the surface.

The other leg is bent until the toes reach the knee of the extended leg.

Basic movement in artistic swimming. The body is lying on the back, and the legs, trunk and face are on the surface of the water. The body is kept on the surface thanks to the reciprocating movement of the hands called "flat sculling". The gaze is always fixed towards the sky and the toes of the feet must be stretched. This movement is widely used during spins or eggbeating.

Basic movement in artistic swimming. The body is lying on the back, and the legs, trunk and face are on the surface of the water. The body is kept on the surface thanks to the reciprocating movement of the hands called "flat sculling". The gaze is always fixed towards the sky and the toes of the feet must be stretched. This movement is widely used during spins or eggbeating.

This is the regular arm movement that allows swimmers to stabilize vertically, as high as possible, feet up and head down. The arms are bent at 90° and rotate while the elbows remain glued to the body. The palms thus exert pressure on the water.

A ballet performed by a single swimmer.

Rotation of the body in a fixed vertical position. It can be ascending or descending, when the heels touch the surface. There are multiple 180° and 360° spins (ascending or descending), including continuous and combined spins.

Position of the body in which the legs are spread horizontally on the ground or in the water and perpendicular to the bust, as if they were an extension of each other. It can be: a middle split (one leg in front, the other behind), a front split (one leg on either side of the bust, in the same alignment) or a jumping split (during a lift).

The legs are joined at the surface of the water while the head, shoulders and hips are aligned underwater. The lower back is arched.

The body is in a lying position on the belly and one leg tucked in the ventral position with the leg bent.

The lower back is arched and the bust fully submerged while the legs, still in the folded leg position, rise 180° to the surface. As soon as the stretched leg is vertical, the bent one stretches to take a castle position. The vertical leg is then lowered to take a cambered surface position, then a back layout is performed.

Another name for swimmers in artistic swimming.

Training technique where the coach taps a pole with a metal object to give rhythm to swimmers in and underwater. This is used to replace the music so that the swimmers can work their rhythm and their figures by counting time.

It can be free or technical and can include from 4 to 8 swimmers, in competition. The free choreography includes figures of arm movements, lifts entirely together or dissociated depending on the moment. In technical ballet, all swimmers must perform the same movement, except for the compulsory lifts and the cadence action.

The swimmer is in the back pike position, then the legs and hips quickly rise to the surface while the body is positioned vertically. The goal is to get your legs out of the water as much as possible.

Propulsion movement allowing the synchros to move quickly in or on the water.

The swimmer is lying on her back, arms raised in line with the body, with her broken wrists performing a rotational movement similar to that of the “flat scull”. The feet should remain on the surface, while the rest of the body is fully submerged. It is a movement very similar to sculling.

The legs are joined together and bent, with the knees and feet on the surface of the water.

The thighs are perpendicular and the face is above the water.

The body is perpendicular to the surface of the water, with the head down and the legs joined.

This movement begins in the splits position and consists in bringing one leg towards the opposite one, on the surface of the water, to end in sculling. The walkover can be front (face, trunk and body towards the surface of the water) or back (body turned towards the bottom of the pool).