CNN
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Male athletes will likely be allowed to compete in Olympic Inventive Swimming occasions for the primary time on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, the aquatic sports activities’ international governing physique FINA stated on Thursday.
The information comes after the Worldwide Olympic Committee accredited World Aquatics’ request to allow the inclusion of males on the Video games. Inventive Swimming was referred to as Synchronized Swimming till 2017.
On the Paris Olympics, males will likely be permitted within the workforce Inventive Swimming occasion. Every workforce is made up of eight athletes, with a most of two males allowed per workforce.
“It is a day of celebration for individuals who have campaigned for the inclusion of males within the sport on the Olympic Video games and who’ve pioneered males’s participation,” stated FINA in an announcement.
Males have been allowed to compete within the sport on the World Aquatics Championships since 2015.
“Aquatics sports activities are common and males have confirmed themselves to be wonderful creative swimmers,” World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam stated of the rule change.
“I stay up for seeing this new dimension of creative swimming being shared with the world in Paris. The inclusion of males in creative swimming is a good credit score to all those that have labored for a few years to make this occur.”
American athlete Invoice Might, who grew to become the inaugural winner of the combined duet technical occasion alongside Christina Jones in 2015, hailed the landmark announcement.
“The inclusion of males in Olympic Inventive Swimming was as soon as thought of the not possible dream,” Might stated.
“This proves that we should always all dream huge. The male athletes have endured. Now, by their perseverance and the assistance and assist of so many, all athletes might stand alongside one another equally, reaching for Olympic glory,” Might added.