OLYMPIC SPORT PREVIEW: WILL THERE BE RETURN TO POOL POWER? U.S. TEAMS SEEK FORMER GLORY AFTER DISAPPOINTMENTS IN '90S.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer John Vargas and Guy Baker are used to having their high expectations fulfilled. The same cannot be said for U.S. water polo water polo, swimming game encompassing features of soccer, football, basketball, and hockey. The object of the game is to maneuver, by head, feet, or hand, a leather-covered ball 27 to 28 in. teams at recent Olympics. The U.S. again has medal aspirations. Vargas and Baker, the coaches, don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. any other way than to raise the bar high. Plus, pre-Olympic competitions support the claims U.S. water polo is returning to the level that produced two Olympic silver medals during the 1980s. ``If we stay focused, I don't see why not,'' said Vargas, the men's coach. ``Everyone there will be tough,'' said Baker, the women's coach. ``But we should be right there with them.'' Preparing for championship games is something both coaches do frequently. As a coach at Corona del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
Baker coached both UCLA's men's and women's teams to national championships during 1999-2000 and has won at least one national title each year since 1995. In addition to the three players who played for him at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , Baker has standouts in defender Julie Swail Julie Swail (born December 27, 1972) is an American water polo player, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Swail is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego. and playmaker play·mak·er n. A player in a sport with goals, such as a guard in basketball, who initiates offensive plays. play Brenda Villa Brenda Villa (born April 18, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is a Mexican-American world-class water polo player for the US National and Olympic teams. Villa started swimming with a club team, Commerce Aquatics, at the age of six, and followed her brother into water polo at . When summer began, Baker's team was rarely mentioned as a serious contender in the inaugural six-team women's field, but that changed in July at the Holiday Cup. The U.S. won the tournament that featured all six Olympic teams. Australia was supposed to be the favorite, but a 12-save performance by former Bruin Nicolle Payne Nicolle Katherine Payne (born July 15, 1976 in Paramount, California) is an American water polo player, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The goalkeeper was also a member of the US team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. helped the U.S. win 8-7. ``It gives us a lot of confidence,'' said Coralie Simmons Coralie Denise Simmons (born March 1, 1977 in Hemet, California) is an American water polo player, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2001, she won the Peter J. Cutino Award, presented annually to the top American collegiate water polo player. , another former UCLA player who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Offensive Player. ``You have to go by how you're playing, and right now, we're playing pretty well. ``I think we can cause a lot of havoc for some teams. We've been playing well and we'll try to bring it all together again at the Olympics. If we do, I don't think we'll be disappointed.'' Vargas got a taste of disappointment the past two Olympics, as a player in 1992 and an assistant coach in `96. The Americans finished fourth in 1992, a year after taking the gold at the prestigious FINA World Cup FINA World Cup
Vargas returned the team to its winning ways when he led the U.S. men to gold at the 1999 Pan American Games Pan American (Sports) Games Quadrennial sports festival. The games, conceived in 1940 as an event for the nations of the Western Hemisphere, were first held in 1951. in his first year as head coach. He thinks several games will be decided by one point at the Olympics, so he is stressing the importance of conditioning and staying focused to capitalize on that one deciding break. Trying to win the U.S.'s first medal since 1988 is a mixture of youth (led by driver Tony Azevedo and 2-meter man Sean Kern and veterans such as goalkeeper Dan Hackett. Kern sparked UCLA's national championship last year. Azevedo is entering his freshman year at Stanford after being a three-time All-American at Long Beach Wilson High and becoming the youngest player to make the U.S. national team. ``We've got the talent,'' Vargas said. WATER POLO Competition dates: The women play Sept. 16-23, followed by the men Sept. 23-Oct. 1. Teams: The U.S. is among 12 teams competing in the men's tournament and six going for the inaugural women's gold. History: The sport began as an aquatic version of rugby in the mid-1800s in England. It joined soccer as the first team sports when it was introduced at the 1900 Paris Games. European countries held a monopoly on the Olympic gold during the Games' first century. Favorites: Hungary, Russia, Italy and defending Olympic champion Spain are the top teams on the men's side. Australia, The Netherlands, Russia and Italy were originally considered the top women's teams, but the U.S. showed it belongs among the group with a title at July's Holiday Cup, in which all the Olympic qualifiers participated. How the U.S. will fare: A medal wouldn't be surprising for the women, but the men, who haven't medaled since taking silver in 1988, will have a tougher time. Did you know: When water polo was first introduced to the Olympics, the U.S. participated by using various club teams. The Americans have won three bronze medals and two silvers. CAPTION(S): box Box: WATER POLO (See text) |
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