2013 FINA World Championships MEDIA REQUESTS: USA Swimming in Barcelona: Media requests and information regarding the 2013 USA World John MARTIN, Sports Communications Manager Championship Team in Barcelona should be directed to Jennifer 1 Olympic Plaza LOWERY for diving; Karen LINHART and John MARTIN for swim- Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909 ming and open water swimming; Dax LOWERY for synchronized (719) 866-3603 o"ce swimming; and Greg MESCALL for water polo (719) 362-6422 cell KNBSUJO!VTBTXJNNJOHPSHŢXXXVTBTXJNNJOHPSH UNITED STATES AQUATIC SPORTS * Will be in Barcelona July 24-August 5 MEDIA OFFICER www.usaquaticsports.org US Synchronized Swimming Media O"cer Gregory EGGERT (will not be in Barcelona): 69 Old Clinton Road Dax LOWERY, Press O"cer Flemington, New Jersey 08822-5706 132 E. Washington Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 625 856 658 Local Cell Phone in Barcelona (317) 287-9403 cell (908) 432-0005 USA Cell Phone For Viber ONLY (317) 237-5705 fax [email protected] NFEJB!VTBTZODISPPSHŢXXXVTBTZODISPPSH NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY MEDIA OFFICERS USA Water Polo Media O"cer in Barcelona: USA Diving Media O"cer in Barcelona: Greg MESCALL, Media Relations Jennifer LOWERY, Senior Public Relations Director 2124 Main Street, Suite 240 132 E. Washington Street, Suite 850 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 ( 714) 500-5455 o"ce (317) 237-5256 o"ce (732) 895-1833 Cell (317) 361-6745 cell HNFTDBMM!VTBXBUFSQPMPPSHŢXXXVTBXBUFSQPMPPSH (317) 237-5257 fax * Will be in Barcelona July 18- August 4 [email protected] www.usadiving.org PHOTOGRAPHY * Will be in Barcelona July 15-29 Getty Images is the “O"cial Photo Partner” for USA Swimming, at the 2013 FINA World Championships. Getty Images coverage USA Swimming in Barcelona: of this event will include all aquatic disciplines with live feeds to Karen LINHART, editorial clients worldwide throughout the World Championships. Public Relations and Social Media Director 1 Olympic Plaza To view Getty Images coverage visit: Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909 www.gettyimages.com/editorial (719) 866-3588 o"ce For information about Getty Images archives or wire services, (719) 440-2424 cell contact Janey Marks at (323) 202-4162 or via email at: LMJOIBSU!VTBTXJNNJOHPSHŢXXXVTBTXJNNJOHPSH [email protected] * Will be in Barcelona July 19-August 5 USA WATER POLO USAWP 2013 USA WATER POLO FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDIA GUIDE 2012 Olympic Gold Medalists USA WATER POLO USAWP 2 About Water Polo BY DEFINITION No other team sport combines as many diverse physical and tactical elements as water polo—often described as a combi- nation of swimming, soccer, basketball, hockey, rugby and wrestling. The game is fast paced and vigorous, requiring its players to be strong, quick and extremely accurate. WATER POLO HISTORY During the mid 1800’s, as swimming became a popular recreation in Eng- land, several water sports emerged bridging the gap between land and water sports. Among them were water football, water rugby, water hand- ball, and water polo. As the game developed and European rules were adopted, the sport quickly spread to several countries by 1900 including First published illustration of an American water polo game Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, and Belgium. Water polo had its official by T. de Thelstrup, Harper’s Weekly Magazine, February 28, 1891 start in the USA in 1888. By 1900, water polo had become so popular that it earned the distinction of becoming the first team sport added to the Olympic program. THE GAME A team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The goal of the game resembles that of soccer—to score as many goals as possible, by throwing the ball into the team's goal net while preventing the opposition from doing so at the other end of the pool. TIME CLOCKS As in basketball, two clocks are used to time a water polo game. One indicates the time remaining in the quarter, and the other, called the possession (shot) clock, indicates how much time remains for the offensive team to shoot the ball. STARTING Each quarter is started with the teams lined up on opposite goal lines. On a signal (whistle) from the referee, the teams sprint toward the center pool for the ball. The team gaining possession of the ball advances it towards its offensive end of the pool by swimming, dribbling or passing the ball. FOULS There are two types of fouls in water polo. Ordinary fouls account for approximately 80% of the whistles during the game and personal fouls (exclusion and penalty fouls) the remainder. Ordinary fouls include: touching the ball with two hands; taking the ball under water when tackled; impeding an opponent in possession of the ball who is not holding the ball; push- ing off of an opponent; and, stalling (failing to advance the ball into a better scoring opportunity). Major fouls include ex- clusion and penalty fouls. Exclusion fouls include: kicking or striking; deliberate splashing in the face; an ordinary foul committed by the defense; interfering with a free throw; misconduct or disrespect to the referee; holding, sinking or pulling back an opponent not holding the ball. A player who receives three personal faults (major fouls) will be excluded for the remainder of the game with substitution. USA WATER POLO USAWP 3 USA Olympic Games Finishes USA World Championships Finishes Year Location Men Women 2009 Rome, Italy 4th 1st 1904 St. Louis, Missouri 1st 2011 Shanghai, China 6th 6th 1920 Antwerp, Belgium 4th 1924 Paris, France 3rd USA Men’s World Cup Finishes 1928 Amsterdam, Netherlands 7th Year Location Place 1932 Los Angeles, California 3rd 1936 Berlin, Germany 9th 1979 Belgrade & Rijeka, Yugoslavia 2nd 1940 CANCELLED WWII 1981 Long Beach, CA, USA 4th 1983 Malibu, CA, USA 4th 1944 CANCELLED WWII 1948 London, England 11th 1985 Duisberg, Federal Republic of Germany 2nd 1952 Helsinki, Finland 4th 1987 Thessolonika, Greece 4th 1956 Melbourne, Australia 5th 1989 West Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany 8th 1960 Rome, Italy 7th 1991 Barcelona, Spain 1st 1964 Tokyo, Japan 9th 1993 Athens, Greece 4th 1968 Mexico City, Mexico 7th 1995 Atlanta, GA, USA 4th 1972 Munich, Germany 3rd 1997 Athens, Greece 1st 1976 Did not qualify 1999 Sydney, Australia 6th 1980 Boycott 2002 Belgrade, Yugoslavia 7th 1984 Los Angeles, California 2nd 2010 Oradea, Romania 4th 1988 Seoul, South Korea 2nd 1992 Barcelona, Spain 4th USA Women’s World Cup Finishes 1996 Atlanta, Georgia 7th Year Location Place 2000 Sydney, Australia 6th 2nd 1979 Merced, CA, USA 1st 2004 Athens, Greece 7th 3rd 1980 Breda, Netherlands 2nd 2008 Beijing, China 2nd 2nd 1981 Brisbane, Australia 4th 2012 London, England 8th 1stt 1983 Sainte Foy, Canada 2nd USA World Championships Finishes 1984 Irvine, CA, USA 2nd 1988 Christchurch, New Zealand 4th Year Location Men Women 1989 Eindhoven, Netherlands 2nd 1973 Belgrade, Yugoslavia 5th 1991 Long Beach, CA, USA 3rd 1975 Cali, Colombia 8th 1993 Catania, Italy 5th 1978 Berlin, West Germany 5th 1995 Sydney, Australia 6th 1982 Guayaquil, Ecuador 6th 1997 Nancy, France 7th 1986 Madrid, Spain 4th 3rd 1999 Winnipeg, Canada 6th 1991 Perth, Australia 4th 3rd 2002 Perth, Australia 2nd 1994 Rome, Italy 6th 4th 2006 Tianjin, China 4th 1998 Perth, Australia 7th 8th 2010 Christchurch, New Zealand 1st 2001 Fukuoka, Japan 7th 4th 2003 Barcelona, Spain 6th 1st 2005 Montreal, Canada 11th 2nd 2007 Melbourne, Australia 9th 1st USA WATER POLO USAWP 4 Men’s Outlook 2013 marks a new era for the USA Water Polo Men’s Senior National Team. Following the 2012 Olympic Games longtime head coach Terry Schroeder stepped down from his post, returning to lead the Pepperdine University Waves. With a berth in the 2013 FINA World Championships still hanging in the balance, the United States turned to legendary USC Head Coach Jovan Vavic to lead the team on an interim basis. Vavic came through, piloting the United States to a Silver Medal at the 2013 UANA World Aquatic Championship Qualification Tournament. With a berth in Barcelona secured, Vavic returned to USC. Team USA found a permanent head coach on May 7 in Dejan Udovicic. A highly accomplished coach who led the Serbian Men’s National Team to Bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games and a World Championship in 2009, Udovicic also led VK Partizan to great success for nearly a decade. With Udovicic at the helm, Team USA has undertaken a youth movement, as only five athletes return from the 2012 Olympic Games and six overall with Olympic experience. Well-seasoned in building and rebuilding programs, Udovicic will turn to some of the best young talent the United States has to offer to complement veterans with big-game pedigrees. In addition to new athletes, the rest of the coaching staff has been altered, as Udovicic is joined by former Pepperdine Head Coach and current USC Assistant Coach Jack Kocur, who will take on an assistant coach role for Team USA. Team Manager Rick McKee remains for his eighth year of service. A host of athletes will (or will have an opportunity to) suit up for Team USA in 2013. Some 24 hopefuls were chosen to compete at the qualification tournament for the FINA World League Super Final. From that group, 17 athletes will train in the lead-up to the World Championships, with 13 selected to compete in Barcelona. It’s a new time for men’s water polo in the United States, and it starts now. GOALKEEPERS The man guarding the cage brings a host of experience and confidence that will be essential for any major success. Incumbent starter Merrill Moses (Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC) has anchored the net for the USA in all the major tournaments since 2007. A breakout star of the 2008 Beijing Games and named to the Olympic All- Star Team, Moses is a sturdy last line of defense, blessed with quick instincts and a solid feel for the game.