Water Polo at the Pan American Games: Olympic Test for USA Men

15-07-2019: WK waterpolo: USA v Kazakhstan: Gwangju Team USA Gwangju South Korea 15/07/2019 Waterpolo M3: United States of America - Kazakhstan 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships Nambu University Grounds © Orange Pictures / Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

LIMA, PERU. While the USA Women deal with the aftershocks of a tragic mishap in South Korea, the American men have one goal in mind: capture gold at the 2019 Pan American Games and qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

In conversation with reporters yesterday at the Pan American Athletes Village, players Ben Hallock, Johnny Hooper and U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Dejan Udovicic spoke about how they’ve put accident behind them and are fully focused on today’s opening match against Cuba.

“We’re just trying to focus on playing Cuba, Canada and Puerto Rico,” said Hallock, who was slightly injured in the Coyote Ugly night club accident. “There’s a lot of excitement around this as far as qualifying for Tokyo. We’ve got to focus on our group play for the first three days of the tournament, then it shifts to a whole different animal.”

Lima is primed for the biggest sporting event in the reason this year. Photo Courtesy: M. Randazzo

The Americans will play Canada—one of its biggest rivals for gold—on Monday and then finish group play Tuesday against Puerto Rico. If all goes according to plan—and Udovicic’s team is able to tame the animal that is the medal round—they hope to be playing for an Olympic berth on Saturday, August 10, at the Villa Maria del Triunfo Aquatics Complex.

These games are the culmination of a four-year cycle that has seen the U.S. men undergo a roller-coaster ride of success and failure, including a disappointing finish two years ago at the World Championships. At the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships, Team USA finished strong, winning its last two matches, including a dramatic victory over Montenegro, to claim 9th place and arrive in Lima on a high note. Capturing gold here will validate Udovicic’s push to combine a core of youngsters like Hallock, Hooper, Max Irving, Hannes Daube, Marko Vavic and Alex Wolf, with seasoned veterans Jesse Smith—hoping to make a fifth Olympic appearance—Alex Bowen, Luca Cupido and Alex Obert.

[USA Men Finish Strong at FINA World Water Championships, Beat Montenegro 15-14]

For the American women, who not only have already qualified for Tokyo but are apparently unstoppable, the biggest challenge may be moving past last week’s incident in Gwang that claimed two lives and injured 14, including American polo players Kaleigh Gilchrist and Paige Hauschild.

[USA Water-Polo’s Kaleigh Gilchrist Injured As Night-Club Building Collapses In Gwangju, 2 Dead, 14 Injured]

Gilchrist was not on the 11-person roster for Pan Ams, but Hasuchild was—and now will not compete due to her injuries. On Saturday U.S. women’s head coach Adam Krikorian announced that the laceration she sustained to her right arm has not yet healed. She was replaced on the roster by Stephania Haralabidis.

[2019 FINA World Water Polo Championships: Winners and Losers]

“I’m obviously disappointed as I was looking forward to taking part in my first Pan American Games,” Hauschild said on Saturday. “That said, it is best to follow doctor’s orders and let this wound heal properly. I’m excited I can still be here in Peru to cheer on my teammates. I know Steph is going to do an awesome job!”

Brazil vs. Venezuela on Day One at Pan American Games. Photo Courtesy: M. Randazzo

Not that the American women will need additional help against the regional competition assembled in Lima. After winning their third-straight World Championship last month—the first team in the four-decade history of the FINA Aquatic Championships to accomplish this feat—Krikorian’s charges will look to continue a winning streak the has ballooned to an unimaginable 53-straight.

The next test of that streak will happen later this morning with a match against Puerto Rico. Next up is Brazil tomorrow—backstopped by former USC goalie Victória Chamorro—then Venezuela on Tuesday before the clubs going into a single elimination classification round.

To follow both the men’s and women’s teams as they progress at Pan Ams, follow @USAWP on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates from Lima.

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