Spectators have been awed by the grace and power of the sport of artistic swimming since the inception of the sport in the early 1900s. Artistic Swimming swimming requires a unique combination of overall body strength and agility, grace and beauty, split-second timing, musical interpretation, stamina, and dramatic flair. Many have described the sport as a mixture of swimming, dance and gymnastics. The goal of every performance is technical excellence, artistic impression, and synchronization with the music.