NEW YORK (AP) — Bill May chuckles when he hears the words “Saturday Night Live,” knowing the conversation is about to turn to a 1984 skit from the TV show starring Martin Short as one of two brothers trying to make it to the Olympics in what was then called synchronized swimming.
If you want to laugh too, Google the four-and-a-half-minute mockumentary-style video, which shows Short's character looking gravely into the camera and admitting, “I can't swim,” as he dons an orange life jacket in a pool. It's satire, of course, and speaks to a time long gone, mocking the very idea of men participating in a sport that was then exclusively for women (now called artistic swimming, and the rules have since been changed to allow men to compete in the Summer Olympics).
The first chance comes this August in Paris, and May, 45, who lives in California, is eager to seize it. May will find out on Friday whether she's among eight athletes (plus one alternate) selected by a panel of five judges to make the U.S. team roster.
May has no problem with what “SNL” did 40 years ago; he's fine with anything that brings attention to the focus of his life. In fact, May would love to meet Short one day, maybe even toss him a swim ring and jump in the pool with him.
“It's so funny, that lightheartedness is what validates the sport,” May said. “It may seem silly, but it's also saying, 'OK, I know it takes time. You can't just walk out and play a sport,' so I think any publicity is great for our sport.”
May was part of the team that competed in the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February, where the United States qualified for the Olympic Games in the team event for the first time since 2008. If he competes in Paris, he is expected to be the only swimmer there. Another top men's artistic swimmer, Italy's Giorgio Minisini, was removed from his country's Olympic plans in April.
Both May and USA Artistic Swimming CEO Adam Andrusco believe this will boost participation in the sport by helping people who previously haven't been encouraged or allowed to participate.
“It's tough for any athlete to break into a sport that isn't traditionally gender specific, and typically in the American conversation it's women breaking into men's sports,” Andrusco said, “so we're seeing the opposite scenario happening here.”
May believes she can send a broader message.
“The Olympics help these sports grow because the Olympics create heroes,” he said. “Seeing men do well in the Olympics, anyone with a dream, male or female, knows, 'If I work hard and dream big, one day I can go to the Olympics.'”
phone
May remembers the place (his kitchen), the date (December 17, 2022) and even the exact time (9:42 p.m.) when he got the phone call with the long-awaited news: Men's artistic swimmers would be eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympics.
How does he know the exact minute?
“When your wildest dreams come true, you never forget it,” May said.
“I never thought something like that would happen in my career,” he said. “I knew it would happen because I knew it needed to happen for the sport to grow. … I just got chills all over my body and I was like, 'OK, I'm going to do this? Yeah, I'm going to do it!'”
He first took up the sport in the late 1980s at age 10 when his older sister first took up the sport, and he immediately felt welcomed.
He has previously performed with Cirque du Soleil and coached with Santa Clara Artistic Swimming.
“When I started, he was already a star. Bill May was super famous. I remember going to a couple of his exhibitions… watching him swim, it was just beautiful,” said Megumi Field, 18, who competes for the U.S. “It was inspiring to see someone like Bill get this far.”
Developing Artistic Swimming
CEO Andrusco wants to grow artistic swimming and sees May having the potential to play a key role.
“We want to grow the sport, make it more popular and get more people involved. If you exclude half the population, that's not going to do you much good,” Andrusco said. “I don't know if putting men in this Olympics was a direct attempt to boost popularity. Obviously, this is a powerful storyline.”
If Mr. May were to go to Paris, he would get a lot of attention and all the other things that come with doing something “for the first time.” Mr. Andrusco said he has pitched a “reboot” of Mr. Short's decades-old skit to NBC.
“Adam and I were joking around the moment he qualified in Doha,” says Kennedy Shriver, director of communications for USA Artistic Swimming. “He said, 'Your job is going to get harder,' and it did, but it was great.”
May said he always wanted to do what he could “to complement other athletes in the sport,” adding that just as importantly, “to set an example that anyone can do anything they want to do.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
