Natació

Natació, also known as swimming, is a water-based sport that involves moving through water using the limbs and body. It is one of the oldest forms of human transportation and has been practiced for thousands of years. The sport can be divided into various disciplines, including competitive swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, and diving.

Competitive swimming is the most popular form of natació, featuring events such as freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. These events are typically held in pools, with distances ranging from 50 meters to 1,500 meters. The sport requires a combination of strength, endurance, and technique, with swimmers using different strokes to propel themselves through the water.

Synchronized swimming, also known as artistic swimming, involves performing synchronized routines in the water. This discipline combines elements of gymnastics, dance, and acrobatics, with athletes performing complex movements in unison to music.

Water polo is a team sport played in a pool, where two teams compete to score goals by throwing a ball into the opposing team's goal. The sport requires a combination of swimming, passing, and shooting skills, with players using their bodies to block shots and defend the goal.

Diving is another discipline of natació, involving athletes performing acrobatic jumps and flips from a platform or springboard into a pool. The sport is judged based on the difficulty and execution of the dive, with athletes earning points for their performance.

Natació has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Games in 1896, with swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, and diving all featuring in the Olympic program. The sport is governed by international organizations such as the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and the World Aquatics, which oversee competitions and set rules for the sport.