SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — The U.S. women’s water polo team encountered a rare setback at the Paris Olympics on Monday, falling 13-11 to Spain in a rematch of the Tokyo Games final.
The American squad is vying for its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal—a feat never achieved by any team in the history of water polo, men’s or women’s.
This defeat marks only the second loss for the U.S. team at the Olympics since their defeat in the 2008 final. The team boasted an unbeaten record in London (5-0-1), Rio de Janeiro (6-0), and Tokyo (6-1).
“It’s a long tournament,” said U.S. coach Adam Krikorian. “We need to learn from this experience and strive to be more composed if we face a similar situation in the future.”
Following a narrow 10-9 defeat to Hungary in group play at the 2021 Games, the U.S. team surged with four consecutive victories, outscoring opponents 63-26, including a commanding 14-5 win over Spain in the final.
However, this time, Spain delivered a different performance. Bea Ortiz led her team with five goals on eight shots. Spain had previously triumphed 15-6 against France in their Group B opener. Maica Garcia Godoy added two goals, and Paula Leiton Arrones also contributed, exploiting the U.S. team’s relative inexperience at the center position.
“It feels great, but this is not the ultimate goal,” said Spain’s Anni Espar Llaquet. “This game was important for our group stage positioning, but it’s just one step in our journey.”
The U.S. started strong with a 15-6 win over Greece but now stands at 18-2 for the year, preparing for their upcoming match against Italy on Wednesday.
Rachel Fattal narrowed the deficit to 7-6 early in the third quarter. However, Ortiz responded with four consecutive goals in a standout performance.
“We should have adjusted more quickly,” said U.S. attacker Kaleigh Gilchrist. “When we finally started to close the gap, it was a bit too late. A few adjustments in the third quarter might have changed the outcome, but that’s the nature of the game.”
The U.S. managed to close the gap to 11-10 when Gilchrist scored with 5:35 left on the clock. However, a turnover thwarted their opportunity to equalize. Llaquet’s crucial goal with 4:10 remaining, combined with a key save by Spanish goaltender Martina Terre, who blocked a penalty shot from U.S. star Maddie Musselman, sealed the victory for Spain.
“I have a fondness for penalties,” Terre remarked. “After conceding the first two, it was my chance to make a save. I’m grateful for the stop but also critical of myself. I need to improve and make more saves in the future.”
Jordan Raney led the U.S. with two goals. Goaltender Ashleigh Johnson, who scored in the final moments, had a mixed performance, making 13 saves on 26 shots.
“I’m incredibly proud of our comeback effort,” Krikorian said. “However, I’m disappointed with our initial performance. We deviated from our game plan and lost trust in each other, which allowed Spain to extend their lead.”