Water polo star Ben Hallock, who has triumphed everywhere from his Stanford team to the pre-eminent Pro Recco water polo club, is now setting his sights on Olympic glory. Despite his impressive resume, Hallock remains without an Olympic medal—a gap he is determined to fill this summer in Paris. "I'd throw every single medal away that I have now for a medal in Paris," Hallock expressed.
The US men's team, which last medaled in 2008, begins its journey against Italy on Sunday. Success in this rigorous tournament will rely heavily not just on Hallock's skill but also on the collective effort of his teammates, who are quick to praise him. "In terms of center play, he has every single ability on a nine or 10 level," said attacker Johnny Hooper. "He can play left-handed. He can play right-handed. He has the best legs in the game. He can turn. He can step out. He can pass. He can shoot."
Since making his Olympic debut at 18 in Rio, Hallock's career has soared. Hallock collected two Cutino Awards at Stanford and led the team to the 2019 NCAA title. His professional tenure at Pro Recco in Italy includes three Champions League titles, marking him as a pivotal player in the international scene. And yet an Olympic medal has remained out of reach: In Rio, he played little and the US finished 10th; In the Tokyo Games, he scored 12 times and the US finished 6th—its best showing since 2008. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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