‘Swimming Pretty’ A Groundbreaking History of Artistic Swimming is Pivotal Work
As the 2024 Paris Olympics reach audiences around the world, there will be plenty of focus on the water.
From swimming to diving to open water and water polo, aquatics athletes will be on display.
It is also the biggest stage for artistic swimming, a staple in the Olympics since the 1980s, joining the movement in 1984.
The sport has been a showcase of beauty and strength among athletes since the sport’s inception.
Now, a groundbreaking history of artistic swimming – “Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water” by Vicki Valosik – tells the complete story of the sport.
Part of the reason artistic swimming has not reached the mainstream as much as other Olympic sports is the unknown history.
Well that changes completely with this new book, which will be a pivotal asset to the sport moving forward.
This is a must read for any aquatic athlete, but also for those hoping to learn more about a beautiful sport.
Starting in the 19th Century – and continuing today – there is a tension between beauty and strength in the water. It particularly affects female athletes but has especially been an issue in the water.
Female swimmers have reach the top of the world in athleticism but have been criticized for not being “feminine” enough, and others have struggled in the opposite way, not reaching their full strength.
That is part of the struggle of female athletes, especially in water sports.
This book will help show the struggle over the years and also the triumph, led by Ester Williams and the beginning of what were then known as “aquamusicals” and later synchronized swimming. The wardrobe as well as the athletes have changed much over the years to reach its modern showcase.
This book shows the full history of the sport, which fought for years to be seen as a sport of Olympic status, and relates it to issues that are still around in the sport and among athletes to this day.
It is a perfect read in an Olympic year and is truly eye opening at what shaped the sport and continues to shape it four decades after it became an Olympic sport.
Find out more about the book or order a copy here.
