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PARIS, France — At the Olympics, it’s no doubt athletes need to be on their game — accuracy is the goal. But sometimes, a little luck also helps.
That appears to be what happened for the men’s U.S. water polo team during their Thursday match at the Aquatics Center.
After making a late save in the first quarter of Thursday’s men’s water polo game against Greece, U.S. goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg threw the ball the length of the pool for a buzzer-beating goal. It tied the match at 4-4 to end the first quarter, impressing the commentators calling the play-by-play.
Watch the thrilling moment below:
Team USA ultimately did not come away with the win. Team Greece won the match with a final score of 13-11. The men’s team plays again on Saturday, Aug. 3 against Montenegro.
What to know about water polo
Water polo is often thought of as the “aquatic version of rugby.” It developed in the rivers and lakes in England and transitioned play into swimming pools in London around 1870. Later, it evolved in Scotland to become more similar to football-style playing.
The sport made its way to the U.S. in 1888, where it initially used the rugby format. Later, the world adopted the Scottish rules that more closely mirrored football rules.
Water polo is one of the oldest team sports in the modern Olympics, and it was added to the lineup in 1900. It wasn’t until the 2000 Sydney Games in Australia that the women’s competition was introduced to the Olympics.
During play, two teams of seven face off in a 3-meter-deep pool. Matches are made up of four eight-minute quarters. Players other than the goalkeeper may only hold the ball with one hand and can only possess the ball for 30 seconds at a time. If a team does not attempt a shot within that time, possession goes to the other team.
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