Key Details

Image Source: Bregje de Brouwer and Noortje de Brouwer of Team Netherlands compete in the Artistic Swimming Duet Free Routine Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Competition -  The Women’s Duet at the Paris Olympic Games consists of a single final phase, with all eighteen qualified teams completing two routines, being the Technical Routine (Friday) and the Free Routine (Saturday).

The Duet Technical – Is a 2:20 routine that consists of five Technical Required Elements, which can be performed in any order, plus two additional Hybrids Elements, and one Acrobatic Element. These may be placed anywhere in the routine. The routine must contain a lift, jump, or throw, which can be placed anywhere in the routine.

The Duet Free – Is a 2:45 routine that consists of seven Hybrid Elements and two Acrobatic Elements.

The Scores – Are combined across both routines, with medals presented based on overall cumulative scores.

Key Numbers

Image Source: Moe Higa and Mashiro Yasunaga of Japan perform their routine during the Women's Duet Technical during the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup 2024 - Stop 2. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

2 - The United States of America (1984, 1992) & Canada (1988) are the only two nations competing at Paris 2024 that have previously won gold in this event.

7 - Japan has won the most medals in this event (7), however has never taken home the gold.

4 – There are four pairs of twins are competing in this event in Paris (Austria, China, Netherlands & Ukraine).

8 – A total of eight competing duets have won at least one medal at one of the past three World Aquatics Championships.

16 – Japan’s Moe Higa is the youngest swimmer in the duet event at Paris 2024.

33 – Nuria Diosdado from Mexico is the oldest competitor in the field at 33 years of age.

Key Moves

Image Source: Image taken using an underwater remote camera.) Anna-Maria Alexandri and Eirini-Marina Alexandri of Team Austria compete in the Artistic Swimming Women's Duet Free Preliminaries on day five of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships at. (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

The pairs have two choices for each of the Technical Required Elements in the Duet Technical, with the corresponding Degree of Difficulty applied to their scores based on the element chosen (DD).

#1 – Walkover back closing 360° and continuous spin 1080° (3.000 DD)  or  Walkover back closing 180° and continuous spin 720° (2.500 DD).

#2 - Rocket split alternating legs, spinning 180° (2.800 DD)  or  Rocket split, spinning 180° (2.400 DD).

#3 - Flamingo full twist hybrid (2.900 DD)  or  Flamingo half twist hybrid (2.600 DD).

#4 - Fishtail, knight, continuous spin 1080° (DD 3.200 DD)  or  Fishtail, knight, continuous spin 720° (2.700 DD).

#5 - Thrust bent knee twirl spin 360° (2.300 DD)  or  Thrust, bent knee twirl (2.100 DD).

Key Duets

Image Source: Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi of Team China compete in the Artistic Swimming Women Duet Free Routine final during day 14 of the 2022 Asian Games at. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

The following pairs have medalled across the past three World Aquatics Championships, with 2023 being the first competition under the new rules of the sport.

Wang Liuyi & Wang Qianyi  (CHN)

  • 2024:  Gold – Duet Free, Gold – Duet Tech
  • 2023:  Silver – Duet Free
  • 2022:  Gold – Duet Free, Gold – Duet Tech

Anna-Maria Alexandri & Eirini-Marina Alexandri (AUT)

  • 2023:  Gold – Duet Free
  • 2022:  Bronze – Duet Free, Bronze – Duet Tech

Moe Higa & Mashiro Yasunaga (JAP)

  • 2023:  Bronze – Duet Free, Gold – Duet Tech

Bregje de Brouwer & Noortje de Brouwer (NED)

  • 2024:  Silver – Duet Free

Kate Shortman & Isabelle Thorpe (GBR)

  • 2024:  Bronze – Duet Free, Silver – Duet Tech

Alisa Ozhogina & Iris Tio (ESP)

  • 2024:  Bronze – Duet Tech
  • 2023:  Bronze – Duet Tech

Linda Cerruti & Lucrezia Ruggiero (ITA)

  • 2023:  Silver – Duet Tech

Maryna Aleksiiva & Vladyslava Aleksiiva (UKR)

  • 2022:  Silver – Duet Free, Silver – Duet Tech