Water Polo Is The Hardest Olympic Sport. Here's How Team USA Trains To Win | Second To None

Almost drowned playing water polo at school — absolute nightmare sport. The people who play are to be feared.

tried this a few times over high school gym class and almost died as a pretty fit guy. insanely tough sport, don’t think being a strong swimmer and being able to tread water for a long time is enough. i was gassed in minutes.

Had no idea. Musselman stopped mid swim, turned around and started to back stroke, caught the ball mid backstroke ONE HANDED, stopped on a dime, went vertical like an Orca and SUNK the shot to the back corner. Amazing. First time watcher, now a fan for sure.

When I was learning to swim treading water for 2 minutes alone was already a challenge I can’t even imagine for 40 minutes while also trying to play a game

I dont think people realize how brutal this sport is. I have a personal friend who was on an Olympic polo team decades ago, HE was the one who told me it was very physical underwater, broken fingers and broken wrists super common as when you are covering or being covered there are a ton a "cheap shots" and hand/wrist fighting and kicking each other going on. I never realized that until he told me and showed me in the pool. He's in his 70's now, was in his 60's when he showed me and explained it. I always just thought of it as basketball/soccer in the water, the physical requirements are crazy, stamina, speed and wrist locks, fighting under water, kicking, pretty intense.

shout out to ashleigh’s mom for putting her in polo!!!

My wife played varsity water polo. Very intense game

An absolutely underrated amazing sport! I truly hope that the Olympics will help shed light on this sport

I've always curious about this sport, and this video encapsulates it very well with an aspiring context

Water polo and synchronized swimming both look so freaking hard to me compared to any other sport.

The coach said everyone understands the physicality...🤔 Who is everyone? I just learned so much about the sport by watching this video. This sport is intense!

My high school water polo coach was five times this guy. He loved to outright ridicule individuals. If someone’s fast break was too slow during scrimmage, he would hurl a ball at their head from the deck. He was despised, and never won a league championship during his entire career. And even there in HS we had rough games — a broken arm, broken rib, being kicked in the face. That was the 1970’s.

incredible sport....great video highlighting all the works that goes into it

Great cinematography ❤

Just started water polo in high school today. I wanted to throw up pretty much the whole time. 😅

Wish the US Team the best of luck!

I admire water polo players. These ladies ate top athletes. They earn their gold every day.

Of all the sports I've ever played, water polo is by far the absolute most difficult bar none

Blood in the Water - 1956 Melbourne Olympics, USSR v. Hungary. Political situation of the time notwithstanding, proof that this sport has always had a very strong sense of physicality to it.

Wooow ladies, bravo! And Mrs. Johnson (mom) what an inspiration!