Frithjof Seidel is Germany’s only male synchronized swimmer on an internationally competitive level. The sport has long been reserved exclusively for women.
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00:00Synchronized swimming is a sport of elegance and grace, and until now, a female domain.
00:07In the upcoming Olympic Games, for the first time, male swimmers are allowed.
00:11But even after winning gold in the European Championship, the German team didn't qualify.
00:17Frithjof Seidel from Berlin is the only man on Germany's national team. What is that like for him?
00:24I feel incredibly good together with the girls. They've been very accepting.
00:29I've taken on the big brother role. I'm the oldest by about three or four years,
00:34but we compliment one another well and we're always laughing together.
00:39Here, Frithjof practices with the national squad for the European Championship in Belgrade.
00:44He's in the water with his teammates for up to eight hours a day.
00:48They rehearse acrobatic elements such as lifts.
00:53The years in the water made me realize what a beautiful medium it is.
01:01I feel good in it, being completely enveloped in water, in particular when diving.
01:06To me, that's a feeling of freedom.
01:11Frithjof began swimming at age six and moved on to high diving.
01:15His parents recognized his athletic talent early on.
01:19At age 10, he enrolled in a sports boarding school in Berlin and competed in European Youth Championships.
01:25At 18, he took part in his first international competitions.
01:29In 2021, through high diving, he came to synchronized swimming.
01:34Frithjof is openly gay. He came out at age 18 and found his first boyfriend.
01:39And now he's the first man to break into a traditionally female sport.
01:43Did that mean diving into prejudices and discrimination?
01:48It's true that at first you think, okay, homosexuality and competitive sports could be a sensitive topic.
01:55But I say you can hear remarks at every turn. It might hurt at first.
02:00But once you've dealt with it a few times, you can rise above it.
02:07Along with competitive sports, Frithjof is studying for his master's in engineering sciences at the Technische Universität Berlin.
02:15He sees many parallels between the movements of synchronized swimming and the laws of physics.
02:22Physics always have a place in sports.
02:25Of course, synchronized swimming has a lot to do with buoyancy.
02:29We always have to push ourselves out of the water when we're swimming as a team.
02:33That's when we're doing the lifts.
02:37Frithjof also has time for a hobby.
02:39A few years ago on Instagram, he discovered crocheting and knitting.
02:43It helps him relax and regain composure.
02:46Along with socks, scarves and gloves, he likes to make little figures.
02:52That really helps with the stress.
02:54I take half an hour in the evening and sit with my knitting and crocheting.
02:57What jogging does for other people, knitting does for me.
03:00You can just tune out that way.
03:05Back at the swimming pool, Frithjof joins his home Berlin club SC Wedding for the German championship in Berlin.
03:12Eleven teams compete against one another.
03:15This time too, Frithjof is the only man on the team.
03:26One routine in the acrobatic routine category takes about three minutes.
03:30The higher the degree of difficulty, the more points they can score.
03:34The routine was a success with a few small errors.
03:38The athletes of SC Wedding are glad to have Frithjof as a permanent member of the team.
03:49It's quite normal, just like before.
03:53We didn't even notice any difference, really none.
03:56He integrated into the team brilliantly.
03:59We've always had lots of fun with him, so we really like it.
04:02He's like one of the family.
04:05At the end, once more, tensions are running high.
04:09The jury awards its points and the result is an impressive second place for Frithjof and the SC Wedding.
04:18I definitely see myself as a role model.
04:21And I think this sport profits from men and women getting together.
04:25In this sense, it's my dream to be able to motivate men and boys just to give it a try.
04:30Model, pioneer and, in a way, the only rooster in the yard.
04:35Frithjof will keep fighting for synchronized success and equality in sports.