After Blake’s death, Krikorian briefly returned to the USA but went back to Rio, an effort that was rewarded as the US handily defeated Italy 12-5 on Friday to win its second straight gold medal, the first time any women’s water polo team has won back-to-back Olympic gold.
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United States became the first nation to win back-to-back gold medals in the women’s water polo after routing Italy 12-5 in Friday’s final.
The U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team defeated an overmatched Italy 12-5 to repeat as Olympic Gold Medal Champions on Friday. Coming off a year in which the USA became the first country to hold all four major titles in the sport – the world championship, world cup and World League are the others – this was the only acceptable result for the Americans.
Steffens made sure her teammates didn’t lose focus Wednesday while scoring four goals to lead the top-ranked United States to the gold-medal game Friday against Italy.
But like the United States, who have clinched a podium spot at every Olympics since women’s water polo made its debut in 2000, they are undefeated in Rio and have looked strong throughout the tournament.
After the victory, each player took turns placing their gold medals around Coach Adam Krikorian’s neck.
Midway through the first quarter, however, the USA fell behind 2-1 and trailed for the first time at the Games.
Mathewson scored the game’s first goal, 1:11 into the opening quarter, and the Americans, who haven’t lost an Olympic game since 2008, never relinquished control.
Neymar added a goal on a penalty kick in stoppage time, and Gabriel Jesus also scored twice for Brazil, which got off to a slow start in the tournament.
Team captain Maggie Steffens, who also helped win gold in London, said the victory proves that US women’s water polo is going through a golden age.
Day 14 of the Rio Games features medal action in track and field, soccer, wrestling, boxing, platform diving and more. Their first five goals came from five different players and eight players scored in all, with Kiley Neushul (three), Rachel Fattal (two) and Makenzie Fischer (two) getting multiple goals. “I was dreaming about coming here to the games, so it’s everything for me”.
Rita Keszthelyi led Hungary with four goals, though Barbara Bujka, the team’s risky center forward, managed only two goals thanks to early foul trouble and aggressive US pressure.
The U.S. did not qualify for the synchronized swim team event.
“I’m really happy I was able to make some stops in key moments for us”, she said. This isn’t unusual for virtually every other team here.
Italy’s squad, which won bronze at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, will now try to pull off a surprise in the final and capture a second gold medal to go with the one it won at the 2004 Athens Olympics. “It’s emotional because I love them so much and I don’t want it to end”.
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Its one of the best teams Ive ever been a part of, and Ive been a part of some really wonderful teams, Neushul said. “I was thinking about my brother and about how hard this journey has been”.
