RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) " Maggie Steffens and the U.S. women's water polo team stood on the top step of the podium and belted out the national anthem through a mixture of smiles and tears. Italy and Russia stood on each side of the Americans, and they might as well have been miles away. The women's water polo team, hailing almost exclusively from California, beat Italy 12-5 on Friday for its second straight gold medal, and there are signs it could replicate the sustained success of some of America's most famous Olympic juggernauts. It currently holds each of the major crowns in women's water polo, adding a second Olympic gold to its world championship, World Cup and World League Super Final titles. Johnson, the first black woman to play water polo for the United States in the Olympics, turns 22 next month.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 20, 2016 13:18 UTC