The 2014 European Swimming Championships is taking place in Berlin from 13 to 24 August. Next week the focus will be on diving and swimming in the pool, but this week is all about open water and synchronised swimming.
Synchronised swimming combines elements of dance, gymnastics and swimming. Competitors need to be graceful, strong and agile. They also need to be able to hold their breaths for a long time.
These photos, taken both above and below the surface of the water, show the grace, power and downright strangeness of the sport.
The Spanish team performs their free routine in the synchronised swimming eventAFPAnother photo of the Spanish team performing their free routineAFPUkraine's Anna Voloshina performs in the synchronised swimming solo free routine preliminariesReutersGreece's Evangelia Platanioti performs her solo free routineAFPThe French team competes in the synchronised swimming team free preliminary eventAFPEvangelia Papazoglou and Evangelia Koutidi of Greece compete in the synchronised swimming duet free preliminary eventAFPAustria's Nadine Brandl performs in the synchronised swimming free routine preliminary eventAFPFrance's team performs their free routineAFPThe Russian team performs their free routineAFPHungary's team performs their free routineAFPThe team from Great Britain go through their technical routineAFPRussia's Svetlana Romashina performs her solo free routineAFPSzofi Kiss and Dora Anett Schwarcz of Hungary compete in the synchronised swimming duet free preliminary eventAFPGreat Britain competes in the synchronised swimming team free preliminary eventAFPThe Ukrainian synchronised swimming team performs the free routineAFPThe Greek squad competes in the synchronised swimming team technical eventAFPGreece's Evangelia Platanioti performs her solo free routineAFP
