It is common for an athlete’s journey to the Olympics to be long, uncertain, and littered with obstacles. And yet, even within the Games’ tradition of underdog tales, Bill May’s story stands out. This is because May, who is now 44, spent most of his life unsure whether he would ever be eligible for the Olympics.
May is a male artistic swimmer, something that has prevented him from participating on his sport’s grandest stages. Since its debut at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, only women have been permitted to compete in artistic swimming (which was known as ‘synchronized swimming’ before being controversially renamed in 2017). Now, 40 years later, that restriction is loosening. Per a 2022 decision by the sport’s global governing body, nations competing in artistic swimming’s team event at next year’s Paris Olympics can (but aren’t required to) include up to two men on their eight-person squads.
