U.S. wins 3rd consecutive Olympic gold medal in women's water polo
Hungary defeats ROC to claim bronze
The U.S. has won its third consecutive gold medal in women's water polo, pounding Spain 14-5 in the final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Maddie Musselman scored three times and Ashleigh Johnson made 11 saves as the U.S. improved to 134-4 since it won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After falling 10-9 to Hungary in group play in is first loss at the Olympics since the 2008 final, the U.S. ripped off four straight wins by a combined score of 63-26.
The U.S. joins the men's teams from Britain (1908-1920) and Hungary (2000-2008) as the only countries to win at least three straight water polo titles at the Olympics. The U.S. is the only team to medal in each of the six editions of the women's tournament at the Games.
Maica Garcia had two goals for Spain, which also lost to the U.S. in the 2012 final. The silver medal matches the country's best finish in the women's competition.
Hungary wins bronze medal
Earlier, Hungary earned the country's first medal in women's water polo, beating the Russian team 11-9 for bronze.
Vanda Valyi scored three times for Hungary, which finished fourth in each of the last three Games. Rita Kesthelyi had two goals.
Hungary was clinging to a 10-9 lead in the final seconds when Alda Magyari stopped a long shot by the Russian Olympic Committee's Nadezhda Glyzina. Magyari then threw the ball into the open net for the clinching goal.
Hungary beat the U.S. in group play, handing the Americans their first loss at the Olympics since the 2008 final. It outlasted the Netherlands in the quarter-finals before losing to Spain.
Hungary's men's team — the winningest country in the the Olympics' oldest team sport with nine gold medals — also plays for bronze Sunday against Spain.
Glyzina, Anastasia Simanovich and Ekaterina Prokofyeva each scored two goals for the Russian team, which won bronze in 2016. Anna Karnaukh made six saves.
