Synchronized swimming is all about completing basic movements like clockwork in a 3-meter deep pool: pointed toes, dramatic faces, and always, always jazz hands. And of the nations that competed on Sunday and Monday, many dances were themed: from France’s “Swan Lake”performance to a Mexican wolf-inspired dance that included spitting water.
But if the competition was based on bathing suits alone, the Russians would take it. Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina debuted a synchronized swimming duet so strong they advanced in the lead to Tuesday’s final. Their technical routine during preliminaries on Sunday was a tribute to Michael Jackson, set to a mash up of his songs and featured bedazzaled bathing suits with his profile on it. Their second dance was set to the tune of Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow,” and they wore swimsuits adorned with creepy dolls. From Switzerland’s bank-robbers to Khazakstan’s tuxedo-inspired numbers, see our ranking of snychro’s finest fashions.