For some sports on the Olympic program, it's easy to understand how they evolved: Swim fast, run fast, jump high, score a goal. But sports like artistic swimming? Where did that come from? On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Vicki Valosik, author of Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water, who delved deep in to the world of synchronized swimming to discover its roots--and along the way, she found much more.

The book is a treasure trove of rabbit holes, from the connection Benjamin Franklin had to the sport, to water-based lifesaving techniques used by the military. Vicki dives into the lives of the sport's pioneer Annette Kellerman and movie star Esther Williams as she traces the history of the sport from its earliest days to the Olympic stage.

You can find out more about Vicki Valosik at her website. Follow her on Insta, Facebook, and X!

Also on today's episode, Zeus the horse from the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony is now at Versailles for an exhibit. In Melbourne, someone's created another statue--of infamous breaking athlete Raygun.

It's just 500 days to go until the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympics! In other Milan-Cortina 2026 news, Poste Italliane has signed on as a sponsor, and the organizing committee announced the producers of the ceremonies and torch relay.

Plus, LA 2028 may be more of a US Games than we thought, and there's some cool legacy news out of Tokyo.

Milan-Cortina will be a regional Games, and LA 2028 may turn out to be that way too. We already know that softball and canoe slalom will be held in Oklahoma City, and now cricket may also take place outside of Southern California.

We also have updates from TKFLASTANIs:

• Para triathlete Grace Norman
• Sprinter Kenny Bednarek
• Sled hockey player Monica Quimby
• Para swimmer Olivia Chambers
• Race walker Evan Dunfee

We'll be at the Olympin show in Atlanta on November 8-10. Stop by the Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center and see us!

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thank you to our ongoing contributors and patrons! This show thrives because of our listeners. Want to give back? Learn more here.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

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Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.

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