The Pan American Games in Santiago displayed some of the most breathtaking moments in sports in the world. Be it the fine movements in gymnastics, or the strong and gritty moves in wrestling. However, things take a different turn when it comes to water polo. The US women’s water polo team recently secured a berth for the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris. However, the celebrations were dampened even before they began.

Most fans never got to see the qualification effort of their team. Infuriated by this, a 3x water polo world champion took a major dig at the 2023 Pan American Games and its organizers.

America’s water polo legend shames the Santiago Games

Heather Petri is a 45-year-old US women’s water polo legend. Petri has also made her mark in the Olympics and has won one Olympic gold, two silvers, and a bronze. The Olympian recently took to X and reposted a tweet by USA Water Polo congratulating the women’s team. In a scathing criticism, Petri wrote, “Shame on you @santiago2023 The world should not be following this #Paris2024 @Olympics Qualification match on Twitter. Do better. It is unacceptable to not stream this match. @TeamUSA @PanamSports Thankful for @PhotosLulu for her images of this achievement.” 

The unhappy Olympian clearly expressed her dissatisfaction with the state of things. When players of every nation give their best to compete for their country, it becomes imperative to broadcast their efforts to the public. Despite not getting the proper recognition by the organizers, both the men’s and women’s teams of America qualified for the Olympics. In fact, both teams also conquered the final match of the tournament to bring home the gold medal.

Bringing more golden glories to the homeland

Playing their final match against Canada, the US women’s water polo team registered a comfortable win of 20-11. The men’s team didn’t face many hassles either as they brought Brazil’s gold medal campaign to a dead end with a score of 17-7. Both teams had already secured the ticket to Paris with a final appearance.

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Despite this, the Americans didn’t hold back at all and crushed their opponents to bring the gold medals home. The X account of USA Water Polo also posted several videos and images of the award ceremony. The images did bring warmth and smiles to the faces of the Americans. However, they also pointed to the hollowness of no-match streams being available. As both teams race to Paris, hopefully, they’ll get the exposure they need at the Olympics.

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