U.S. artistic swimming had a historic Monday on two fronts.
It earned a medal in a team event at the world championships — silver in the acrobatic routine — for the first time since 2007.
And Bill May, 44 years old, became the first American man to win a world team medal.
Men were allowed to compete in artistic swimming team events at worlds for the first time this year in Fukuoka, Japan. One year from now, men will be allowed to compete in the Olympic team event for the first time.
AQUATICS WORLDS: Broadcast Schedule
While teams are not required to include men at worlds or the Olympics, all three medal-winning nations on Monday, including gold medalist China and bronze medalist Japan, had a man on their roster.
“This is an incredible step forward for our sport,” May said after Monday’s medal performance, according to USA Artistic Swimming.
When men’s inclusion was announced this past December, May had not competed since 2019 and had been “halfway retired,” though still involved in the sport coaching the Santa Clara Aquamaids in California.
May, a world medalist in mixed duets (not an Olympic event) in 2015 and 2017, came back and tried out for the national team. He made it and joined seven women on the eight-person U.S. team for worlds in the acrobatic routine, a discipline that will be part of the three-event Olympic team competition for the first time next year.
Before his comeback, May’s last time competing in a team routine was at the 2002 U.S. Championships, according to Inside Synchro.
“I didn’t want to be 60 years old and say, you know, I had this opportunity to maybe go for it, and I didn’t,” May told NBC Sports in June. “Whereas now I can say, It might’ve been the most difficult year of my life, but I went for it. I have no regrets, I enjoyed every second of it.”
The U.S. will attempt over the next seven months to qualify for the Olympic artistic swimming team event for the first time since 2008.
It must either win the Pan American Games in October and November or finish among the top five at the February 2024 World Championships out of nations not already qualified for Paris.
While Monday’s silver medal is promising, Olympic qualification is based on combined results from acrobatic, technical and free programs.
Men’s strengths may be best suited to the acrobatic routine. The U.S. went with an all-women team for the technical at worlds and was fourth in qualifying. That final is Tuesday. The free is later this week.
For the Olympics, nations must use the same eight athletes for all three routines.
“It was an amazing accomplishment to win medals in the mixed duet category, and to now win a medal in the acro team event is a feeling I can’t even describe — it’s beyond words,” May said, according to USA Artistic Swimming. “I thought my competitive career was finished, but to have another opportunity to fulfill a dream is surreal.”
