Water Polo - Team United States

General
The US team arrive in Tokyo as the reigning Olympic, world, World League, and Pan American Games champions, just as they were entering the 2016 Games in Rio. They qualified for Tokyo courtesy of their 2019 World League Super Final win over Italy.

They have contested one of the medal matches at every Olympic women's water polo tournament since 2000, and have never gone home empty-handed. They were beaten 4-3 at the buzzer in the final in Sydney 2000 by the host nation, but got some measure of revenge four years later when they defeated Australia in the bronze medal match in Athens. More Olympic final heartache followed at the 2008 Games in Beijing, where the Netherlands beat them in the gold medal match by a single goal.

At London 2012, however, the curse was lifted as the US beat Australia in the semifinals before an 8-5 win over Spain in the final secured their first Olympic gold. Four years later they successfully defended their crown, thrashing Italy 12-5 in the final in Rio de Janeiro in an undefeated campaign that saw them win every game by at least four goals.

At the world championships in 2019 the US team secured their third consecutive title, and sixth overall, by overcoming Spain comfortably in the final just as they had done at the 2017 edition. It is a similar story at the World Cup, with the US claiming the three titles on offer between 2010 and 2018.