SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — China won gold in the synchronized swimming team event on Wednesday night. Olympic Games in Pariswith the USA taking silver and Spain taking bronze.

China dominates in the absence of Russiawho had won all gold medals in artistic gymnastics since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

China scored 996.1389 points, ahead of the Americans with 914.3421 and Spain with 900.7319. It was the first U.S. medal in the sport since 2004.

It was a big medal for China and also a step forward for the sport, which changed its name from synchronized swimming a few years ago to freshen up its image. Some swimmers still call it “synchro.”

“The sport is getting unprecedented attention,” said Adam Andrasko, head of USA Artistic Swimming. “It’s a completely different sport.”

The smiles, the makeup and the hair gelatin remain, but this is no longer the water ballet under flowered rubber caps that your grandparents watched.

After the technical and free exercises on Monday and Tuesday, the acrobatic exercises on Wednesday showed the full potential of female athleticism: strength, endurance and energy.

In the acrobatic routine, each team must incorporate seven elements above water. Seven times, a swimmer, known as a “flyer,” is catapulted two meters above the water’s surface and performs somersaults, spins and dives.

She is catapulted into the air by a pool of swimmers who are underneath and are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool.

Tricks, more muscular exercises and more excitement now characterize the sport: such as the moonwalk exercise – which is performed upside down with the swimmer’s head underwater – which the Americans demonstrated in the freestyle on Tuesday.

Rule and scoring changes introduced about 18 months ago have turned this into a kind of gymnastics on water – with a dramatic twist like figure skating. The risks are also higher.

“People are pleasantly confused as to how on earth these women can do what they do,” Andrasko said.

Men had a chance to compete in artistic gymnastics at the Olympics for the first time, but neither team has nominated a man. There is consideration of adding a mixed duet team competition for Los Angeles 2028, which would make more room for men.

“There wasn’t nearly enough time for nearly enough men to prepare for this opportunity,” Andrasko said. “It was a challenge to generate interest a year and a half before the Olympics.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games