By Grace Goulding
Amanda LONGANAshleigh JOHNSONKaleigh GILCHRISTMadeline MUSSELMANMaggie STEFFENSRachel FATTALWater Polo
The three-time Olympic champion women's water polo team is back, with the same mission: defend the title. And they've chosen their team for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to get the job done.
Fresh off of their Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships win, the US women are determined to go all the way once again. The roster* includes:
Ashleigh Johnson (Miami, FL)
Maddie Musselman (Newport Beach, CA)
Tara Prentice (Temecula, CA)
Rachel Fattal (Seal Beach, CA)
Jenna Flynn (San Jose, CA)
Maggie Steffens (Danville, CA)
Jordan Raney (Manhattan Beach, CA)
Ryann Neushul (Goleta, CA)
Jewel Roemer (Martinez, CA)
Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Beach, CA)
Emily Ausmus (Riverside, CA)
Jovana Sekulic (Haverford, PA & Belgrade, Serbia)
Amanda Longan (Moorpark, CA)
The American women have won three consecutive Olympic golds, at London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020. Will their streak continue in the French capital this summer?
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*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Maggie Steffens: "we're not here to be Olympians - we're here to be Olympic champions"
The team is an excellent mix of talent. About half of the players have Olympic experience, and the other half are ready to make their debuts.
Considered one of the best water polo players on the planet, Steffens is back for an unprecedented fourth straight attempt at gold.
"We have seven women making their Olympic debut along with experience from the past and I think a lot of that has come with resilience, courage, and heart - that's really what this team is about. I know this team better than anybody and we're not here to be Olympians - we're here to be Olympic champions. The journey has just begun on this day and we want to bring home a gold medal for you and the team behind the team," three-time Olympic gold medalist and team captain Steffens shared.
Steffens is joined by teammate Johnson (named top goalie at the Tokyo Olympics) who is optimistic following their win over France in the Olympic test event in May, where the Olympic champions beat their Olympic hosts 12-6.
Johnson shared her thoughts on the test event with Olympics.com: "Facing the home country on home territory it’s a new level of engagement and bringing it. You get the feel for the competition and get some of those jitters out. It’s awesome to see what they're going to bring at the Olympics, get a preview of that, feel that energy, feel that competition.”
She also noted that playing in front of a loud and passionate French crowd “completely changes the game.”
Joining Johnson in goal is Tokyo Olympic champion and fellow Cutino Award winner Longan.
The US roster also features Tokyo Olympic MVP Musselman, along with seasoned players Gilchrist and Fattal, all ready to share their wealth of Olympic experience with the team's younger players.
Making their Olympic debuts are several collegiate standouts, including Stanford attackers and NCAA champions Neuschul, Roemer, and Flynn. This marks the third consecutive Games appearance for the Neuschul family, with Ryann following in the footsteps of her sisters Kiley and Jamie, who competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, respectively. Can Ryann also become an Olympic champion, like both of her sisters? She certainly picked the right team to play for.
Teaming up at the two-meter for Team USA are Prentice, a former star at UC Irvine, and Sekulic, currently shining at Princeton. This duo promises to be a strong force in the center of the Olympic pool.
Three-time world champion Raney will also make her first Olympic team, after narrowly missing out on the roster for Tokyo 2020. Joining her on defense is the youngest member of the team, 18-year-old Ausmus. The Riverside native postponed her freshman year at USC to train with Team USA, a choice that will take her all the way to Paris.
US Women's water polo team on the brink of making Olympic history
This summer, the American women will be chasing not only gold but also a place in the history books. In fact, if Team USA wins the gold medal in Paris, they would secure a historic fourth consecutive Olympic gold in women's water polo, the most ever in the sport for both men and women.
But that's not all. Should the team win gold, superstar Steffens would become the first-ever water polo player to win four Olympic gold medals, all in a row. A fourth medal of any color would also tie the record tally of Olympic medals for a woman in water polo.
Team USA is also the only nation to medal in every Olympic Games featuring the event, having won gold in 2012, 2016 and 2020; silver in 2000 and 2008; and bronze once in 2004.
The stage is set for the Americans to continue cementing their legacy as the greatest in women's water polo history.
"It’s amazing to see what we have done, not only in women’s water polo but also in women’s sports across the board. Hopefully, we can take advantage of the stage and take advantage of the moment,” Steffens told Olympics.com
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The final preparations are underway, with the world and Olympic champion US team set to face Italy on 25 June and then the 2024 vice world champions, Hungary, on 5 July.
The US team aims to continue their gold medal streak at Paris 2024. They've been drawn in Group B, alongside Greece, Italy, Spain and hosts France.
Their opening match is against Greece on 27 July.
- Full Olympic water polo schedule here
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