Inclusion in the pool: mixed duet aiming at Olympics in artistic swimming

In 2024, male artistic swimmers will be competing at the Olympic Games for the first time. In a sport, which is mainly seen as a sport for women, it is possible for men to participate in the team event in Paris. Two out of eight swimmers are allowed to be male. The next step towards inclusiveness is the admission of the mixed duet. At the European Games in Poland, it’s already part of the program.

Lucrezia Ruggiero and Giorgio Minisini from Italy.

Eight couples compete in Kryta Pływalnia, the aquatic center in the city of Oświęcim, for the medals in the technical discipline. Some show their skills on the music of Cirque du Soleil, some have chosen Paint it black by the Rolling Stones. The favorite couple is the Italian one with Giorgio Minisini and Lucrezia Ruggiero. Minisini can be seen as the preacher of male acceptance in sports, continuing the work of American Bill May. May came up in the late nineties and showed that men can also be good artistic swimmers. He participated in the Goodwill Games in 1998, but was banned from competing in the ‘official’ multi-sport games because of the rules. No Pan-Am Games, no Olympic Games. When the mixed duet discipline was added to the World Championship program in 2015, May made a comeback and became the first man to win gold at a world championship

Struggling

The now 27-year-old Minisini won bronze at that World Cup eight years ago, after which he took over from May. Now he is the role model for many male swimmers. At the European Games he showed once again what he is capable of. “This was a tough year me, for us, so this gold medal means a lot. When I won my first golden medal, I knew it was going to be tough to manage that. After more success, that was becoming even tougher. We struggled this year, we didn’t always made the best decisions, but we found the solution to win here”, says Minisini, without going into detail what made last year specifically so tough.

It depends on multiple things if the mixed duets is becoming an Olympic discipline. For example: another discipline within the artistic swimming might have to be sacrificed. But also: the level of some male swimmers must become higher fast. They have a backlog compared to he female and they need to catch up quickly. The LEN, the European Federation, as well as FINA is promoting the acceptance of men in the sport, but at the European Games there are only eight duets participating. The number and the level needs to be raised to a higher level.

Belgian swimmers Lisa Ingentino and Renauld Barral
Mixed duo of Italy at the start of their routine

Theater

Belgian artistic swimmer Renaud Barral is probably the most experienced man in the field. With his 35 years he’s a ‘veteran’ in the sport. His swimming partner, female Lisa Ingenito explains the difference between men and women in the sport. “The physique is obviously very different. Because men are heavier, they float less easily in the water. He needs to give more power to float. Lifting on the other hand is easier for him, he can tilt me from the water and lift me up. And what it makes more fun to me is that with a male partner, we can do more artistic theater, that’s really fun.”

The two began forming a couple during the corona pandemic and has grown to a machine ever since. “You see two bodies in the water, but it is one spirit. That’s what we want to achieve. We have a deep connection, with one glance at each other, we know what we’re gonna do”, says Barral. That’s why they want to stay together for the big dream. If mixed duet is becoming Olympic in LA 2028, they want to be there. “I’ll be 40 years by then. My body sometimes feels a little bit old, but my mind keeps telling me I’m young. And hey, what better gift I can give myself than an Olympic gift. I want to celebrate that with her!”