By Editor’s Note: The end is near! 2021 is almost in the books, so TWp is looking back on the five biggest story lines of the year. Today we focus on the spectator-less 2020 Tokyo Games in and how an aging Serbian men’s team and a dominant U.S. women’s team overcame
By Pod: Three-time Olympic Champion Coach Adam Krikorian
He would never ‘fess up to it but after leading the USA women to their third consecutive gold medal (perhaps a fourth in Paris?) he can fairly be called “legendary.” He’s Adam Krikorian, one of the world’s best at his craft if the collection of hardware tells us anything. The
Talent-laden USC Begins ’21 Campaign MPSF, NCAA Favorites
Despite any protestations to the contrary, there’s no real parity in men’s college water polo. Over a half-century of NCAA championship play, only three programs outside the “Big Four” have won a national championship: UC Irvine (three times) Pepperdine (once) and UC Santa Barbara (once). Do the math: that’s less
Pod: The “Best Center in the World,” Ben Hallock
We continue our series on the Tokyo Olympic Games with a conversation with Ben Hallock, described by at least two men – Dejan Udovicic and Alex Bowen – as the “best center in the world.” He and his USA teammates finished sixth in the tournament and he’s headed back to
Pod: Alex Bowen talks Mixed Results for USA Men in Tokyo
A continued look back at the recently completed Tokyo Olympics. Alex Bowen finished the men’s tournament as its fourth highest scorer. Team USA experienced some good results – a win over Italy perhaps the highlight – but also some less than desirable ones. Bowen helps dissect the tournament with deeper
Pod: “Doesn’t Feel Like it’s Real.” Haralabidis on Winning Gold
She warned us prior to the Games that her team was not “invincible,” and she turned out to be very much correct. But Stephania Haralabids and her teammates were able to rally from the USA Senior Women’s program’s first defeat in a couple years to overcome some physical opponents, stiff
Pod: Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Alys Williams
Alys Williams was the final cut from the 2016 USA Women’s National Water Polo Team, as NBC informed us just a few times during the Tokyo Olympics. Williams recovered from that setback quite nicely and now has a heavy, shiny 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal to hang on her office
Pod: Tokyo Olympian, Greek-American, Stephania Haralabidis
One of the most interesting stories about this monster roster that is the USA Women’s Olympic Water Polo Team, which is expected to win gold beginning on July 24 in Tokyo, is Stephania Haralabidis. Born and raised in Greece but already a dual citizen she made the tough decision to
Pod: Nevada’s First Water Polo Olympian, Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson made waves in the US water polo community as a high schooler from Reno, Nevada who went on to excel at the University of the Pacific and now takes his place on the USA Men’s Water Polo roster for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He joined James Smith and
Canada’s Reuel D’Souza: Even in a Pandemic, Opportunity Exists for Those Who Seek It
Reuel D’Souza is one of a number of talented young players who represents the present and future of Canadian men’s water polo. The 21-year-old is the youngest of three brothers from Vancouver who played polo; his brother Ethan has worked in the Canadian national team program as a coach, while
