Photo Courtesy: Jonathan Moore/ USA Water Polo
Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
San Diego, CA – July 7 – U.S. Olympic Men’s Water Polo Team Head Coach Dejan Udovicic has revealed the 13 athletes that will compete for Team USA this August at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team was introduced today for the first time in a press conference held on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA.
Four returners are back from the 2012 Olympic Team to guide the squad including captain and Rio native Tony Azevedo. With this selection Azevedo becomes the first five-time Olympian in USA Water Polo history. A 2008 Silver Medalist, Azevedo is joined by fellow Olympic medalists Jesse Smith and Merrill Moses. Smith heads to his fourth Olympic Games while Moses preps for his third Olympics. Rounding out the returners is center John Mann who was a first-time Olympian in 2012.
Nine newcomers makeup the rest of the Olympic Games roster, a stark contrast from 2012 where 11 of 13 athletes were returners from the 2008 team. Drawn into Group B, the U.S. Olympic Men’s Water Polo Team will open play in Rio on August 6 against defending Olympic champion, Croatia. From there they will take on Spain, France, Montenegro, and Hungary. The medal round is scheduled forAugust 20.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Team USA is coming off a silver medal performance at the FINA World League Super Final last month. The medal was their first in a major FINA competition since winning silver at the 2008 Olympic Games.
The USA Men qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games by defeating Canada in the semifinal round of the 2015 Pan American Games 9-8. The team would go on to claim gold at the event, defeating Brazil 11-9 in the title match.
Prior to their introduction the team was greeted by Mac McLaughlin, President and CEO of the USS Midway Museum.
All nominations to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Water Polo Team (Hometown/School/USAWP Club)
1. Merrill Moses – GK (Palos Verdes, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
2. Thomas Dunstan – A (New Canaan, CT/Mater Dei HS/Regency)
3. Ben Hallock – C (Studio City, CA/Harvard Westlake HS/LA Premier)
4. Alex Obert – D (Loomis, CA/Pacific/NYAC)
5. Alex Roelse – D (Maarssen, Netherlands/UCLA/Bruin)
6. Luca Cupido – A (Newport Beach, CA/California/Newport Beach WPC)
7. Josh Samuels – A (Villa Park, CA/UCLA/NYAC)
8. Tony Azevedo – A (Long Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
9. Alex Bowen – A (Santee, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
10. Bret Bonanni – A (Huntington Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
11. Jesse Smith – D (Coronado, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
12. John Mann – C (Newport Beach, CA/California/NYAC)
13. McQuin Baron – GK (North Tustin, CA/USC/Regency)
Head Coach: Dejan Udovicic
Assistant Coaches: Jack Kocur and Alex Rodriguez
Team Manager: Rick McKee
Sports Medicine Manager: Carling McMichael
Returning Olympians
Tony Azevedo – 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
Jesse Smith – 2004, 2008, 2012
Merrill Moses – 2008, 2012
John Mann – 2012
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 40,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 500 Member Clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the US. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.
Press release courtesy of USA Water Polo
- OFFICIAL SITE FOR RIO
- RIO COMPETITION SCHEDULE
- WHERE TO WATCH LIVE VIDEO OF OLYMPICS
- USA MEN'S SWIMMING TEAM
- USA WOMEN'S SWIMMING TEAM
- USA DIVERS GOING TO RIO
- USA WOMEN WATER POLO TEAM
- SWIMMING MEDAL PREDICTIONS
- FULL DAY 1 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 2 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 3 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 4 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 5 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 6 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 7 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 8 RESULTS
- WOMEN'S 10K OPEN WATER RESULTS
- MEN'S 10K OPEN WATER RESULTS
- FULL OLYMPIC SWIMMING RESULTS
Studs?? Go USA!!! ??. Win the GOLD!!!
Go forit
Jim Baldridge