In synchronized swimming, most of the action happens above the water. Spectators never get a chance to see what's going on beneath all the graceful lifts and kicks on the surface — until now.
A series of underwater photos snapped during the synchronized swimming duet finals at the Rio Olympics gives an intimate glimpse at the unseen parts of swimmers' routines.
Here's what it really looks like inside the Olympic synchronized swimming pool:
Above the water, swimmers smile for the crowd and judges. But underwater, their faces show intense concentration.
Swimmers train to hold their breath for long periods of time.
“When you swim a whole routine, there are points when you really need air," American swimmer Mariya Koroleva recently told Team USA. "Your body almost starts doing these little convulsions but you can't come up. You have to stay under — so it's definitely a mental challenge as well as physical."
Source: Team USA
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