Synchronised swimming at the Rio 2016 Olympics: All you need to know

The sport in brief: This is one of two women-only events at the Olympics, in which competitors are judged on routines performed to music. The programme consists of duet and team competitions. Duets go through a qualification phase, while the team event is a straight final.

Anything new for Rio 2016? There is a new method of judging routines - instead of two panels of seven judges, there are three panels of five judges. The qualification stage of the duet competition has been changed, with the free routine session now coming before the technical routine.

British prospects: Olivia Federici will take part in her third consecutive duet competition at an Olympics. She finished ninth in London and will hope to make the final again - this time her partner is Katie Clark, who competed in the team event in 2012.

Who are the favourites? Russia are the dominant force - the last time another nation won gold was the United States in 1996. Russians also won eight out of nine golds on offer at the 2015 World Championships.

I didn't know that: A test on athletes from all the Olympic sports before the London 2012 Games found that synchronised swimmers ranked second only to long-distance runners in aerobic capacity.

Previous British medallists: None

Highest British position: Fourth - Caroline Holmyard & Carolyn Wilson (duet, 1984)

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