Yelyzaveta Yakhno, a prominent figure in artistic swimming, began her journey in the sport at the tender age of 8, inspired by her orthopedist’s recommendation to address posture issues. With synchronized swimming making its Olympic debut in 1984, Yakhno has witnessed the sport’s evolution from solo and duet performances to the dynamic team routines of today.
Artistic swimming, known for its blend of grace and athleticism, demands not only physical prowess but also artistic expression. Yakhno’s unique approach combines modern choreography with traditional elements, aiming to captivate audiences and judges alike.
Her dedication extends beyond performance, embracing the challenges of breath control, strength training, and the psychological aspects of the sport. Influenced by legends like Virginie Dedieu and Natalia Ishchenko, Yakhno continues to push the boundaries of artistic swimming, driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence and personal growth.
How have the techniques and styles in artistic swimming evolved over the years, and how do you incorporate modern influences into Yelyzaveta Yakhno routines
I started doing synchronized swimming when I was 8 years old. At the age of 7, I went to swimming on the recommendation of an orthopedist, as I had problems with my posture.
How do you balance the artistic and athletic elements of the sport? Can you describe a moment when your routine felt particularly expressive or emotional
Artistic swimming has been developing for many years.
Synchronized swimming first appeared at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as a competition among soloists and duets. In 1996, in Atlanta, duets were replaced by teams, and solos were excluded from the Olympic program.
The movements in the routines were slow, and the patterns were wide, the routine could take 4-5 minutes. Starting in 2008-2010, the routines became more rhythmic and fast, much attention is paid to the deckwalk, water entries are performed with acrobatic elements, and athletes in patterns swim very close to each other. In 2023, the rules in our sport have changed a lot.
A catalog of rules with acrobatic elements and various technical figures appeared, which bring their value and complexity to the routine. Athletes demonstrate their skills in strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Artistry is of great importance. Athlete must have acting skills, be able to hear and feel music, express emotions, music and movements must be intertwined.
We try in every possible way to develop artistry, invite actors from the theater, circus, follow modern ballet and dance shows.
I am a very creative person and love art, music. I liked performing in team events and in a duet, but especially solo. In solo, I could show my individuality, authenticity and convey the meaning and history of choreography to the audience and judges who are watching me, feeling every note and variability of rhythm, expressing it with facial expressions, performing movements with arms and legs.
What is your approach to choreography? How do you collaborate with choreographers and teammates to create a cohesive and compelling performance
Coaches and athletes usually put choreography on the water together to the chosen music and theme. I have a modern approach to choreography, I like to be creative and create new interesting elements, try something new.
How do you select and interpret music for your routines? What role does music play in enhancing the narrative or emotional impact of your performance
First, I choose a theme for the routine that I like and that will suit the athletes, music is selected for this theme, something rhythmic, extensive, with a variety of sounds, voice and transitions. This can be a combination of several tracks and performers or completely new music written by a musician.
What are the unique challenges of training for artistic swimming compared to other aquatic sports? How do you overcome physical and mental hurdles
Artistic swimming is a very complex sport. It includes stretching training, swimming, ballet, gym, training in acrobatic elements on land and water, training for holding your breath, and training in technique and synchronization of figures.
For me, as for many athletes, one of the most difficult things to overcome was holding your breath during the routine. Here you need to be patient and talk to yourself, concentrate on the execution of the element itself.
When the muscles are heavy and acidified, training becomes many times harder and more unpleasant, it is difficult for young athletes to even start training, but the main thing is not to give up and keep doing it. Our body is a complex system that can be negotiated with and is able to adapt to everything.
The brain also needs to be trained, setting sports goals and giving the right instructions aimed at achieving tasks. In general, working with a good sports psychologist greatly helps sports training and affects the result.
How do different cultural backgrounds influence the artistic elements of your performances? Are there specific cultural themes or stories that have inspired your routines
When I performed in the Ukrainian national team, we really loved to take Ukrainian folk music and tracks of Ukrainian singers such as Tina Karol, Oleksandr Ponomariov, Nina Matvienko and others. This is our culture, and we evoked it with great pride and dignity, this is what inspired me and brought great joy and inspiration.
Can you explain how judging works in artistic swimming and how you strive to meet or exceed the expectations set by the judges
Two judging panels on both sides of the pool, 3 categories of evaluation: artistic impression, execution – the highest score is 10, technical controllers monitor the correctness of the declared figures and codes, and also have the right to impose a penalty for incorrect execution of an element. Judges love to enjoy beautiful and clean performances, new creative elements and well-chosen music.
Are there any recent innovations in artistic swimming that you find particularly exciting or promising for the future of the sport
In artistic swimming there are few legends who inspired me :
Virginie Dedieu is a French athlete and an outstanding soloist with excellent artistic and technical skills, an impression of weightlessness.
Anna Voloshyna is a Ukrainian athlete, my duet partner and my current coaching colleague. Incredibly beautiful, very sensual and artistic during the performance, with incredible willpower and character, technical and graceful. She made a great impression on me.
Ona Carbonell is a Spanish athlete, very talented, technical, flexible and light, her performance stood out with Spanish passion and a variety of elements.
Natalia Ishchenko is a Russian athlete, technical, light, with incredible leg strength and extension, and amazing technique, her swim could be compared to a swan flying over lakes.
Bill May – is male artistic swimmer performed for USA , incredibly strong, technical and so artistic athlete, a legend of our sport. He knows how to reveal another courageous powerful side of artistic swimming.
What personal philosophies or values guide you in your artistic swimming career, and how do they influence your approach to training and performance
I love to work, to work on myself. If I take on some work always do it well and with high demands on myself. My philosophy: do not compare yourself to others, run your own race, be better than yesterday, I will break away from myself. Setting a goal and achieving it.
