Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Artistic Swimming - Women's Duet Free Routine - Final - Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan - August 4, 2021. Anna Maria Alexandri of Austria and Eirini Alexandri of Austria during their performance. REUTERS\/Antonio Bronic<\/p>\n
TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - The alluring voice of an evil doll invites people to \"come out and play\". Witches, spiders and snakes cavort in edgy routines. Teams spin and twist to hip-hop and rap in the water.<\/p>\n
It is the new face of synchronised swimming, aimed at changing the image of a sport long derided as flailing limbs, splashing water and fluffy water ballet done to florid classical music, and it dominated the Tokyo Games competition.<\/p>\n
\"Until 2019, we just swam classical music,\" said Eirini Alexandri, who with her identical twin sister performed the chilling evil doll duet routine for Austria, their suits bearing a threatening face.<\/p>\n
\"So we said OK, we have to change style.\"<\/p>\n
The sport's official name was also changed to \"artistic swimming\" in 2017 by international swimming organisation FINA as part of a rebranding attempt.<\/p>\n
The sport is a blend of muscle and grace. Swimmers have to hold their breath for extended periods underwater, swim in tight, intricate patterns in synchronisation with music, make eye contact with judges - and have it all look easy.<\/p>\n
There are costs, with swimmers known to faint.<\/p>\n
U.S. athlete Anita Alvarez briefly lost consciousness at the end of her routine at a qualifier in Barcelona this summer and had to be pulled from the water. She and her duet partner appeared at Tokyo but did not make it to the finals.<\/p>\n
Swimmers collide in practice, leading to bruises, bloody noses and worse. The sport also sees high rates of concussion.<\/p>\n
Though the results were predictable - Russian athletes continued a golden sweep unbroken since Sydney 2000, with China close behind - other changes were notable.<\/p>\n
Music ranged from a scattering of classical to hip-hop, rap and a tune from a virtual singer, while routines went from light-hearted to edgy.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Spain's routine was \"evolution,\" complete with dinosaur-like spines on the back of the team's suits, while other teams expressed international unity or the relationship between mankind and nature.<\/p>\n
\"We changed our tech team music to something really upbeat,\" Australian swimmer Emily Rogers said after scoring a team technical best with a routine to \"Tokyo Drift,\" by the Japanese hip-hop group \"Teriyaki Boyz.\"<\/p>\n
\"So maybe that was another reason why it's been our best score yet - because it's so much fun.\"<\/p>\n
Reporting by Elaine Lies and Mayu Sakoda; Editing by Peter Rutherford <\/p>\n
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