Team, Open

With the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, significant changes were made to the team competitions. Another type of programme was added – an acrobatic routine –, and in addition, men were allowed to participate in the teams. At the Olympic Games, the tradition was preserved when teams had to perform three programmes for the first time and men were allowed to compete, with a maximum of two men per team. In the end, no men competed at Paris 2024.

After the technical routine, the first place was predictably won by the Chinese team, which in the end (after three routines) had an advantage of more than 80 points, a cosmic gap for this sport. The United States’ team predictably took fourth place in the technical routine, but then moved up and won the silver medal. The performance of Spain, traditionally strong in the technical routine and weak in other events, was a surprise, as it managed to win bronze.

Also notable was the successful performance of Mexico in the free routine and France in the acrobatic routine, surprising in that they did not take part in the 2024 World Championships in Doha.