U.S. Olympian Bill May poses for a photo during the USOC Media Summit in preparation for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics at the Marriott Marquis. | Robert Deutsch – USA Today Sports
Bill May could be the gay pioneer of synchronized swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
May is considered one of the favorites to make the U.S. synchronized swimming team for this summer's Olympics.
The team is expected to be announced this weekend.
Traditionally, men are not considered allowed to participate in synchronized swimming, but May told The Associated Press that men do participate in the sport.
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“It's tough for any athlete to break into a sport that's not traditionally gender specific, and typically in the American conversation it's women breaking into men's sports,” Andrusco told The Associated Press. “We have the opposite scenario happening here.”
Still, May faces some challenges: Many Team USA fans will cling to the idea that synchronized swimming is a “women's sport,” and people like OutKick's Clay Travis will argue that May is taking away Olympic spots from women.
However, there are also gender-neutral sports in the Olympics, most notably equestrian sports, which are now an intergender Olympic sport.
May has been active on the international synchronized swimming stage for at least 10 years.
