NORFOLK, Va. — I wasn't sure what to expect covering artistic swimming for the first time Saturday afternoon but what I do know is that I left incredibly impressed. The organization formerly known as USA Synchronized Swimming voted to change its name to USA Artistic Swimming in 2020, illustrating more accurately what the sport is about which includes far more then synchronization.
Artistic swimming essentially combines swimming, dancing, gymnastics and acrobatics all encompassed into one sport. Not only is there a physical aspect but there's a mental aspect which challenges your creativity.
"There are two primary components," said president and longtime judge of USA Artistic Swimming Denise Shively. "One is the more technical side where you're looking at the execution of how the athletes perform and the second is the artistic side that looks at choreography and presentation."
Baylee Robinson, the director of events and membership for USA Artistic Swimming shared just how competitive the field is.
"We have athletes from 20 different states representing 70 different clubs and about one thousand athletes in total. Every athlete today qualified to be here at different regional or local events so these are the champions here at this event. We take everything they do on land and do the same thing in water so its equally a lot of water and land training."
For the athletes themselves, its a unique opportunity to showcase their skills which can often be a difficult task competing in a non- traditional sport.
"I think these events are really specially because there's not a lot of teams in our home states so getting to come here and compete on this national scale is really good for all of us and I love the competition," said Larke Eslinger, a 16 year old artistic swimmer who drove 17 hours from Orlando, FL with her team.
That wasn't the only Olympics affiliated event happening in Hampton Roads however. USA Field Hockey hosted its annual National Club Championship at the Virginia Beach Regional Training Center this week where, similarly to artistic swimming, the top athletes travel from all over to compete against the nation's top talent.
"24 teams in each age division,U-14 girls, U-16 girls, and U-19 girls from all across the country meet here in Virginia Beach to compete to be top dawg," said USA director of events Madeline Hoeppner.
I remembered covering the event last year as well and so I asked Brian Tyson, Umpire Services Coordinator for USA Field Hockey, what keeps them coming back. Turns out the facility is one of a kind.
"We're the only city in the United States with two water- based artificial turfs right next to each other at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex and that has helped develop so much talent." Brian Tyson, Umpire Services Coordinator for USA Field Hockey.