[This is part 3 of our ten day most memorable Olympic moments countdown to the 2012 Olympics. The daily non-Olympian athletic gratuitous eye candy is just a bonus.]

When you stop and consider how many of the Olympic events seem gay, or at least homoerotic, you have to wonder why the Gay Games even bother. Synchronized swimming would certainly qualify as gay, but currently it is only open to female athletes, one of the two sports at the Olympics that discriminate against men. As gay as the idea of men performing synchronized swimming routines may be, historically it was the guys not the gals who participated in the sport, it started out as a men’s event: Benjamin Franklin is regularly credited with its invention, under the name ‘ornamental swimming.’

Its popularity among men waned and women eventually took over the sport, some say because the nature of the physical movements are more suitable to the female form’s center of gravity. In the mid 1940s water ballet gained some popularity thanks to Esther Williams’ elaborately staged scenes is such Hollywood movies as Bathing Beauty and Million Dollar Mermaid. By the early 20th century male synchronized swimming was a thing of the past, possibly receiving its kiss of death from a famous sketch by Martin Short and Harry Shearer on Saturday Night Live. But as of late mens’ synchronized swimming has reemerged, there are teams sprinkled around the world actively competing at international events.

Synchronized swimming was initially added to the Olympic schedule as a ladies only event to provide more events for female athletes as there were far less available to women competitors in those days. But recently there has been a reemergence in synchronized swimming as a sport for men. There are several teams sprinkled around the world and the event was part of the most recent Eurogames. In the past decade both USA Synchro and Canada have begun allowing men to compete with women, as do most European countries. France regularly holds national competitions for men, and the British men’s team spearheaded a drive (that was not successful) to bring the men’s competition to the Olympic Games.

Synchronized swimming’s convoluted history is mirrored in its Olympic record. In 1952 it debuted at the Games as a demonstration event, but it wasn’t until 1984 that it became an official Olympic sport. In its present form the events include both team and duet competition. But in the first three Games one of the events was inarguably one of the strangest competitions seen at the Olympics: Solo Synchronized Swimming.

Solo Synchronized Swimming featured a single athlete in a mastabatory water ballet of graceful movement in perfect sync with, well, the sole competitor. The Canadians, Japanese, and Americans dominated the sport. Well, okay only the Canadians, Japanese, and Americans ever bothered to enter the event. It’s crowning glory was its twilight year at the Olympics when the USA’s Kristen Babb-Sprague and Sylvie Fréchette from Canada performed such amazing feats of athletic beauty and grace, alone in the pool by themselves, that the judges could not pick a champion and the two tied for the gold medal. As there were only three contestants, the silver medal was not awarded and the swimmer from Japan won the bronze.

The solo event was dropped after the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona due to low spectator appeal, a confusing scoring system, and the distracting laughter of the judges as they watched someone put on a serious face and then dance alone in a pool for two minutes.

The skill, effort, sacrifice, and determination required to become an Olympian is something we should all respect and admire. The abilities and achievements of those who win an Olympic medal should always be applauded. But keep in mind that there are 6 Olympic medal winners out there who won their award for dancing by themselves in a swimming pool.

[‘The XXX Games’ are a series of posts about hot Olympians, gay competitors – both present and past – and general articles about the 2012 London Olympics of interest to gay men. So, yeah, lots of hot male eye candy. Click the XXX Games graphic below for additional news, stories, and pictures.]