There is never a shortage of strong U.S. teams heading to the Olympics. The women’s basketball team has won six consecutive gold medals, and the men’s team three in a row. The larger-than-life personalities on the World Cup-winning women’s soccer team have captured the news media spotlight, and the women’s gymnastics team, led by Simone Biles, is a heavy favorite in Tokyo.
But one of the best U.S. squads is one you may have never seen: the women’s water polo team.
The team won the Olympic championship in 2012 and 2016. And the past three world championships. And the past three world cups, the past six World Leagues and the past five Pan American Games. Between the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, in fact, the team won 128 games, while losing only three.