Technical Required Elements

For the 2022-2025 cycle, the events in artistic swimming are: solos, duets, mixed duets, teams, free combination (U12; Youth) and Acrobatic routine (Junior, Senior). Solos, duets, mixed duets and teams are split into two events in the junior and senior categories: technical routines and free routines.

 

Each technical routine must feature five Technical Required Elements (TRE), that can be done in any order. Most TREs have two different variations with different degrees of difficulties: A or B. A nation may choose which version of the TRE to perform, and must declare it on the Coach Card prior to the competition. It may change between variations from one competition to the next in the same season, or even from preliminaries to finals in the same meet.

The list of TREs is the same for junior and senior athletes.

Summary of the Degrees of Difficulty for Each TRE

Solo Duet

Mixed Duet

 Team
1A 2.7 3.0 2.7 2.5
1B 2.1 2.5 2.5 2.3
2A 3.0 2.8 2.4 2.6
2B 2.7 2.4 2.2 2.3
3A 3.2 2.9 3.3 2.6
3B / 2.6 / 2.3
4A 2.9 3.2 3.0 2.9
4B 2.6 2.7 2.6 /
5A 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4
5B 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1

At the vast majority of international meets (Worlds, Europeans, World Cups, etc.) the technical and free routines are separate medal events. However, at the Olympic Games and any other competition following the Olympic programme, scores from the technical and free routines are combined to determine the final rankings in the duet. These two events are also added to the Acrobatic Routine to determine the final rankings in the team competition.

In the Under-12 and Youth (13-15) categories, athletes do not have to swim a technical routine. Each competitor must perform four or two figures in those age groups, respectively. The figure score of each swimmer will be added and combined with the free routine score to determine the final rankings.