Water Polo - World Championships

The USA Men’s Senior National Team fell just short of a Bronze Medal at the FINA Water Polo World Championships as they lost to Croatia on 1 August, 8-6. With the loss the United States finishes in fourth place overall, a marked improvement from ninth in 2007 and ends tourney play with a 4-2 record overall.

The wind has temporarily been taken out of the USA Women's Senior National Team's sails. Moments after their Gold Medal winning victory over Canada, 7-6, in the finals of the 2009 FINA World Championships a protest was lodged by the Canadians, with a ruling expected Saturday morning in Rome. The protest comes from Canada in regards to a game misconduct called against the United States' Elsie Wind…

The USA Men's Senior National Water Polo Team will play for a Bronze Medal at the 2009 FINA World Water Polo Championships after falling to Spain 7-6 in the semi-final round. Team USA, which had been undefeated in tourney play prior to the loss will meet Croatia on Saturday at 4:00pm local Italy time in attempt to win their first ever Water Polo World Championship medal.

The USA Women’s Senior National Team is headed back to the Gold Medal game at the FINA World Championships after an 8-7 defeat of Greece earlier tonight. Behind five goals from Elsie Windes the squad advanced to the finals and will look to claim their third World Championship this decade as they battle Canada on Friday evening at 9pm local Italy time.

The USA Water Polo Men's Senior National Team will be assured a chance at a medal after defeating Germany 8-5 earlier today in a low scoring affair at the FINA World Championships. Behind eight different goal scorers and stifling defense the United States improved to 4-0 in tourney play and will meet the winner of Spain/Canada on Thursday.

In perhaps their most consistent game of the 2009 FINA World Championships the USA Women's Senior National Team never trailed in a 12-9 win over China. Behind three goals from Heather Petri and Kelly Rulon and 10 saves from Betsey Armstrong the squad improves to 3-1 thus far. The victory advances Team USA to a match with Spain in the quarterfinals on Monday.

The USA Men's Senior National Team earned a bye into the quarterfinals by virtue of defeating Romania 7-5 earlier today and winning group play. The USA will most likely face Montenegro in their next match Tuesday but that is still to be determined.

The USA Women's Senior National Teambounced back from a loss to Russia with a strong effort to defeat Greece 12-8 in the final match of group play at the FINA World Championships. With the win Team USA finishes 2-1 and will play China at 11:40 am on Saturday.

Using a strong offensive first half the USA Men's Senior National Team rolled to victory over Macedonia 13-6 earlier today at the FINA World Championships. The win puts the men at 2-0 in group play with a strong chance to win their group and earn an off day. They will meet up with Romania on Friday in the final match of group play.

Despite another strong effort on player advantages and solid play from two meters the USA Women's Senior National Team fell to Russia 11-10 earlier today in their second match of the FINA World Championships. The women now stand at 1-1 in Group B action with Greece looming on Thursday in their final match of group play.

Battling a tenacious Italian team looking for revenge and perhaps an even more supercharged crowd the United States Men's Senior National battled to a 9-8 victory on the opening day of play at the FINA World Championships. Italy, who has fallen to the United States in most of the recent major tournaments including the FINA World League Super Final in June and the Olympic Games in 2008 had a rauco…

Kazakhstan led early and often in the first period of their opening match with the United States, and then never again. Team USA asserted themselves as defending champs using the final three quarters to rout their opponent pulling away for a 19-6 victory on the first day of the FINA World Championships.

2009 Water Polo World Championships Results - Men

2009 Water Polo World Championships Results - Women

Men's and women's national water polo teams will compete for the FINA World Championship title in Rome 19 July through 1 August 2009.

FINA 2009 World Championships Team USA Water Polo Rosters

2009 World Swimming Championships Water Polo Schedule

Team USA Water Polo is looking to carry momentum from its first place finish at the 2006 ASUA Cup into Melbourne next month when they compete against 15 teams for the title of 2007 Men's Water Polo World Champion. With a roster boasting 13 internationally seasoned athletes, including 8 from the gold medal ASUA Cup water polo team, Head Coach Ricardo Azevedo is looking to advance Team USA’s international ranking by securing a top four finish at the 2007 FINA World Championships in March.

The World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) will offer live video feeds of all swimming pool events from Melbourne, Australia during the 2007 FINA World Championships. WCSN is also working with USA Swimming to stream conference calls with some of the USA Swimming Team swimmers competing in the World Championships.

When competitors are as evenly matched as the U.S. and Australia, it is often difficult for either team to get an advantage in the water. But in the end, Team USA takes home the gold and the top goalkeeper award after a flawless finish at the FINA World Championships.

It was a tight game this morning as both the USA and Australia battled it out for the upper hand in the 9th-10th place classification match. While today's final game was much closer than their opening match during the preliminary rounds, Team USA was able to once again claim victory and end the tournament with a win.

Not for the faint of heart, today's semi-final game between the USA and Hungary was truly an amazing battle of two equally matched teams. Team USA jumped out to an early lead 2-1 in the first quarter and held on to a three goal lead till the four quarter.

This year's semi-finalists are no surprise as all four teams had strong showings in the biggest water polo match-ups leading up to this year's championship. With European champion Russia, World League winner USA, the reigning title-holder Hungary and World Cup champion Australia all winning their respective quarter-final match-ups on Tuesday, the only noticeably absent opponent from the medal rounds is 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Italy.

The U.S. Men were favored to win their match-up against Canada today, having won all three of their previous meetings with their Northern competitors at the World Championships. Today's game was no different.

After a slow start, Team USA is able to take control of the game in the third quarter to secure their spot in the medal rounds of the World Championships. The U.S. Women are on fire this week at the 12th FINA World Championships. Winning all three of their bracket games and their quarter final match today against Spain, the U.S. will advance to the semi-finals to determine which medal game they will compete in on Saturday, March 31st.

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Center, Melbourne - Team USA was delivered an upsetting blow by Germany today in the second round of the World Championship competition. All too reminiscent of their 2005 match up in Montreal, Germany once again knocked the U.S. men out of medal contention and defeated them 6-3. After a tough loss to Germany today, USA Men move to the classification round for places 9-12.

With rain clouds and cool breezes perpetrating the Australian summer sky, the stage seemed to be perfectly set for the battle that ensued at the Melbourne Aquatic and Sports Center today between USA and Croatia. With both teams vying for a first place bracket finish in order to automatically advance into the quarter finals, each team was looking to breakdown their opponent's game. Unfortunately for Team USA, Croatia came out on top.

The United States' victories over Australia and South Africa have provided them with a confident start to the World Championship competition. With speed, team chemistry and a solid defense on their side, Team USA is looking to secure another win tonight against their former Olympic coach and his internationally experienced Croatian team.

Contemplating retirement after college, Goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong attended the USA women's water polo open tryouts 11 months ago hoping to get her foot in the door to be considered for the 2012 Olympics.

They were hard fought victories, but Team USA is able to move to the top of their bracket after winning their first three preliminary match-ups against the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Greece. It was a team effort as seven of the 11 field players on Team USA's roster delivered goal after goal into their opponent's net today.

Team USA's defense dominated the South Africans today as the underdogs struggled to get the ball in the whole. Jumping out to a three goal lead by the end of the first quarter, the U.S. showed no signs of slowing down. Clearly in top form, team captain Tony Azevedo was able to find the net in six out of his seven shots for the day. With three goals in the first quarter alone, Azevedo seemed to be unstoppable.

It was certainly not the start that Team USA had in mind, with Kazakhstan able to deliver the first goal of the game. Kazakhstan certainly looked to be holding their own in the first eight minutes of play while the U.S. Women struggled to find their rhythm. After ending the first quarter locked up at two goals a piece, Team USA was able to jump out ahead at the end of the second quarter to secure a lead that Kazakhstan was never able to overturn.

Adorned with shooting flames behind each team's goal, the men's water polo competition pool was certainly on fire tonight! The Stars and Stripes came out shooting and never looked back. It was clear from the first minute of play that Team USA was not only out there to win, but to defeat their Australian rivals.

It’s a day of reckoning for the USA Men as they prepare to face Australia for the first time since the Aussies beat them 5-4 in a penalty shoot out to advance to the medal round of the 2006 World League. It was a loss that could have easily extinguished the flame of many younger and less committed teams, but this is not the case for Team USA. Fast forward eight months after that pivotal loss, and you see 13 strong, fit, fast and determined men ready to make their way back to the medal podium!

The 2007 FINA World Championships are in Melbourne from 17 March through 1 April 2007. Follow the pool and ocean action as swimmers, divers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers, and open water swimmers go for the gold, silver, and bronze medals during the biggest aqautic competitions prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Team USA Water Polo is looking to carry momentum from its first place finish at the 2006 ASUA Cup into Melbourne next month when they compete against 15 teams for the title of 2007 Men's Water Polo World Champion. With a roster boasting 13 internationally seasoned athletes, including 8 from the gold medal ASUA Cup water polo team, Head Coach Ricardo Azevedo is looking to advance Team USA’s international ranking by securing a top four finish at the 2007 FINA World Championships in March.

Thirty minutes from the main competition site where the world's top 16 women's water polo teams will compete this evening, teams USA and the Netherlands shared one hour of pool time to warm up for tonight's opening match at 5pm. The two teams last met up at the 2006 Holiday Cup in Los Alamitos, California where Team USA reigned victorious. And TEam USA came up a winner again.