Water polo at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, Team USA stars, what else to know

Here's what you need to know about water polo at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

When did water polo become an Olympic sport?

Water polo is one of the oldest Olympic team sports, having been on the program since 1900. For the first century, the competition was only for men. The women’s tournament made its Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000.

How does Olympic water polo work?

Water polo was created as a version of rugby played in the water. A team has six field players and a goalkeeper with the object being to score as many goals as possible. The game is played in four eight-minute quarters. The offensive team has 30 seconds to take a shot at the goal before losing possession of the ball.

The Olympic tournament has 12 teams for the men’s competition and 10 teams for the women.

Men's water polo field

Group A: Croatia, Italy, Romania, Greece, USA, Montenegro

Group B: Australia, Serbia, France, Hungary, Japan, Spain

Women's water polo field

Group A: Hungary, Australia, Canada, China, Netherlands

Group B: France, Greece, Italy, USA, Spain

Who are the top Team USA athletes in water polo?

On the women’s side, the USA is the only country to win an Olympic medal every Games since the women's tournament began in 2000. The Americans have won three consecutive golds. Three-time Olympian Ashleigh Johnson is considered to be the best goalkeeper in the world. She is joined by Maddie Musselman, one of the team’s leading scorers and MVP of the Tokyo Olympics, and team captain Maggie Steffens, who can score and shut down the opposing team with her defense.

The U.S. men’s team is led by captain Ben Hallock, a top center who won three Champions League titles with Italy’s Pro Recco club team. Hallock will play in his third Olympics. A pair of brothers will make their Olympic debut. Chase Dodd, who is taking time off from UCLA, had eight goals at the 2023 Pan American Games. Ryder Dodd, who at 18 is the youngest on the squad, had 28 goals at the Pan American Games to lead the team.

What’s the international landscape in Olympic water polo?

The U.S. women lost to Hungary during group play in Tokyo, their first loss at the Olympics since 2008. Hungary won the bronze.

On the men’s side, Hungary has been dominant at the Olympics, winning nine gold medals (the most of any country). In Tokyo, Serbia beat Greece for gold. Hungary won the bronze.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Water polo at 2024 Paris Olympics: How it works, what to know