Today, May is in the pool between eight and 10 hours each day as he prepares for the Olympics, on top of cross-training, core exercises, flexibility and weight training. In his mind, artistic swimming is one of, if not the most physically demanding sport on the Olympic program.

“You have to move like a dancer,” he says. “You have to tumble and include acrobatics like a gymnast or an acrobat; you have to have the endurance of a marathon runner, and you have to do all of these things without breathing and without touching the bottom.

“There’s not one sport in the world where you cannot breathe while you do your entire event, along with everything else combined. I really do think that it’s one of the most difficult sports in the world.”

A new event – an acrobatic routine – has been added to this year’s artistic swimming program, alongside technical and free routines. Athletes will compete as a team or a duet, with a total of six medals up for grabs.

“I feel that we’re going in with the greatest team in the world – the team that works the hardest, the team that has the most drive and determination,” May says about the USA’s chances at this year’s Olympics, having secured a place at the Games via this month’s world championships.

“I think the opportunity to get a medal is really strong.”

Denied a spot at the Olympics for so long, May harbors no sense of bitterness or regret about male exclusion from artistic swimming events, only gratitude for being able to finish his competitive career on such a spectacular high.

“I know that this sport has given me a life beyond anything I could ever imagine,” he says.