U.S. Olympic women’s water polo team named to seek record fourth consecutive gold

Three-time gold medalist Maggie Steffens headlines the U.S. Olympic women’s water polo roster for Paris, which seeks a record fourth consecutive Olympic title.

Steffens, who turns 31 on Tuesday, will tie the U.S. women’s water polo record of four Olympic appearances. Women’s water polo was added to the Olympic program starting with the 2000 Sydney Games.

The U.S. roster also includes two-time gold medalists Ashleigh Johnson (named top goalie at Tokyo Olympics), Maddie Musselman (Tokyo Olympic MVP), Kaleigh Gilchrist and Rachel Fattal.

Jordan Raney, the last woman cut from the Tokyo Olympic team, made the 13-player team for Paris.

LIST: U.S. athletes qualified for Paris Olympics

As did Ryann Neushul, who will be the third different Neushul to play for the U.S. over a three-Games stretch after older sisters Kiley (Rio) and Jamie (Tokyo).

Adam Krikorian has been the national team coach since 2009, leading the program to nine titles out of 12 Olympics and world championships.

No nation has won four consecutive Olympic men’s or women’s water polo titles, a feat the American women can achieve in Paris.

In July 2023, Italy denied the U.S. bid for a fifth consecutive world title, snapping a 26-game win streak in world championship play dating to 2015.

Krikorian said the team wasn’t as good as past U.S. teams.

“They hate it when I tell them that, but it’s the truth,” Krikorian said last summer. “We’re not as good as we once were. We don’t have as much offensive firepower, and we don’t have as much of a balanced attack as before.”

The U.S. then won the most recent world championship this past February. Four of its six wins were by one- or two-goal margins, a testament to how close the world’s top teams are.

2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team
Emily Ausmus
Rachel Fattal
Jenna Flynn
Kaleigh Gilchrist
Ashleigh Johnson
Amanda Longan
Maddie Musselman
Ryann Neushul
Tara Prentice
Jordan Raney
Jewel Roemer
Jovana Sekulic
Maggie Steffens

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Introducing the 2024 @TeamUSA Women's #WaterPolo Olympic Nominees:

1. @theAshJohnson
2. @maddiemusselman
3. Tara Prentice
4. Rachel Fattal
5. Jenna Flynn
6. @maggiesteffens
7. Jordan Raney

(Part 1/2)#ParisOlympics @NBCOlympics #RuleTheWater pic.twitter.com/X5LtL2Lbfe

— USA Water Polo (@USAWP) May 30, 2024