Los
Angeles, CA – June 18, 2024 -- U.S. Olympic Men's Head Coach Dejan Udovicic
announced the 13 athletes who will represent Team USA at the upcoming Olympic
Games Paris 2024, earlier today at a press conference at Republique in Los
Angeles. In July, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee will confirm the
full roster for Paris.
The team
is loaded with experience, as 10 of the 13 players selected for Paris also
competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games. One of the returnees is team captain and
two-time Olympian Ben Hallock, who is recognized as one of the most elite
centers in the world. He won three Champions League titles with the Italian
club Pro Recco.
Alex
Bowen, Luca Cupido and Alex Obert are also two-time Olympians expected to aid
Team USA's effort to return to the podium. Attackers Bowen and Cupido will
bring a major scoring punch after completing strong seasons in France and
Italy, respectively. Obert returned to Team USA last fall and will add
essential depth at the two-meter spot as well as a veteran presence.
Other
attackers returning from Tokyo include Max Irving, Johnny Hooper and Hannes
Daube. All three can score in a variety of ways because Irving is a world-class
passer, Hooper is one of the sport's fastest players, and Daube a right-hander
who can quickly pile up the goals.
Defensively,
three important pieces are returning. Goalkeeper Drew Holland is formidable in
the net with his high energy and large wingspan. At 6'7", Dylan Woodhead
adds length on the defensive end, and Marko Vavic will be necessary to control
some of the bigger threats on the opposing teams. All three recently finished
seasons abroad. Holland represented Peristeri, Woodhead suited up for
Vouliagmeni and Vavic played for Savona in Italy.
One of
the three Olympic rookies on the 2024 roster is Adrian Weinberg, a defensive
leader in goal for UC-Berkeley who helped the California Golden Bears capture
three consecutive NCAA titles. The others are brothers Chase and Ryder Dodd who
have ascended rapidly through the national development pipeline to attain their
Olympic berths.
Chase
Dodd is a utility who is currently taking time off from UCLA while his
18-year-old brother, Ryder, is a speedster who can score at a level far beyond
his age. Ryder graduated from JSerra High School this past spring and will join
Chase at UCLA next year.
Team USA
earned its 2024 Olympic berth in men's water polo by winning the gold medal at
the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
In Paris,
13 athletes will be rostered for each match. Unlike the Tokyo Games, it will no
longer be necessary to choose a gameday active roster.
The last
time the US men's water polo team earned an Olympic medal was in 2008, at the
Olympic Games in Beijing where it claimed silver. It was the third silver medal in the
program's history, matching results from 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul. The
US men have also claimed bronze on three occasions: 1924 Paris, 1932 Los
Angeles, and 1972 Munich.
QUOTES:
"I
want to congratulate the players, but this is just the beginning of the road to
finishing in Paris in the proper way...I was asked to say a few words about how
we chose this team but I need to correct that. We didn't choose this team, we
planned and this is something that we designed a long time ago. So, this team
was selected, not chosen. In my more than twenty-five year coaching career,
this is one of the most talented teams that I have ever coached. I believe in
this team, I believe in my players. It is very exciting that we as a group
share the same goals. We are united to achieve what we are looking for and I am
looking forward to Paris as the best opportunity for us to show out in the best
way we can. Thank you all for coming and we will see you August 12." Dejan
Udovicic, U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team Head Coach
"I
am grateful that we are on the same page the last couple of years to go and
play in Europe with daily practice [and a daily routine] that we need for high
results worldwide...[The players] get experience with a variety of coaches,
high-level games and practices. So now, everybody recognizes our players and
they are coveted by the best clubs in Europe. What I'm most proud of is that
this group changed the culture and approach for how to achieve high-level
performance." Dejan Udovicic, U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team Head
Coach
"Firstly,
I would like to congratulate all my teammates. I know for many of us this is
not our first Olympic Games, but there is no greater honor than representing
your country at the Olympics. I would like to thank our team staff. I know you
all put a lot of effort into us and it's not always easy but the work you do
doesn't go unnoticed. If I had to characterize this team, I would go back to
one of my favorite coaches and philosophies of all time - John Wooden's pyramid
of success. The two cornerstones of that are industriousness and enthusiasm.
This group of guys has a work ethic like I've never seen before. They are
willing to do everything [with maximum effort] while being happy as they do it.
I think that's the foundation of any successful team. With those things and
with how much we are willing to sacrifice for each other, we can do anything we
want and take home a medal in Paris." Ben Hallock, U.S. Olympic Men's
Water Polo Team captain
2024 U.S.
Olympic Men's Water Polo Team – Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Hometown/College/USA
Water Polo Club)
1. Adrian
Weinberg (Los Angeles, CA/California/Pride)
2. Johnny
Hooper (Los Angeles, CA/California/Olympic Club/Telimar)
3. Marko
Vavic (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/USC/NYAC/Savona)
4. Alex
Obert (Loomis, CA/Pacific/NYAC)
5. Hannes
Daube (Long Beach, CA/USC/NYAC/Jug Dubrovnik)
6. Luca
Cupido (Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy/California/Olympic Club/CC Ortigia)
7. Ben
Hallock (Westlake Village, CA/Stanford/Olympic Club/Pro Recco)
8. Dylan
Woodhead (San Anselmo, CA/Stanford/SHAQ/Vouliagmeni)
9. Alex
Bowen (Santee, CA/Stanford/NYAC/Noisy-le-Sec)
10. Chase
Dodd (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/Vanguard)
11. Ryder
Dodd (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/Mission WPC)
12. Max
Irving (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/NYAC/Brescia)
13. Drew
Holland (Orinda, CA/Stanford/Olympic Club/Peristeri)
Head
Coach: Dejan Udovicic
Assistant
Coaches: Gavin Arroyo, Matt Ustaszewski, John McBride
Sports
Medicine Manager: Chris Bates
Team
Manager: Paulina Bui
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