Four more former Bruins are bound for Beijing.
The official announcement was made in late June when USA Water Polo finalized its rosters for the 2008 Olympic Games at the Los Angeles Athletic Club downtown.
The women’s water polo team, which collected a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, selected former Bruins Natalie Golda and Jamie Hipp. For the men’s team, alumni Adam Wright and Brandon Brooks will be flying America’s colors.
Although Golda was also selected to the national team four years ago, she still understands the significance of being chosen.
“It’s what every athlete dreams of ““ they want to compete in the Olympic Games,” Golda said. “It’s the highest stage. Every single international competitor is the best at what they do, so there’s a very small percentage of people in the world who have ever competed in the Games. That’s where the prestige lies.”
While at UCLA, Golda was a crucial component of a team that won three NCAA titles. Golda, an effective two-way player, returned to school following the 2004 Olympics to score 47 goals during her senior season. Her success that year earned her the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the nation’s top female and male collegiate water polo athletes. Now one of the three Olympic veterans on the squad, Golda plans show her leadership by keeping a simple approach.
“My goals are mostly team goals,” Golda said. “Obviously, we want to do well and play well. But personally, I want to do my job. I don’t want to go out there and put extra pressure on myself and do things that aren’t within my role. I want to go out there and do what I do best: defend and shoot the ball.”
Golda proved that she could shoot the ball when she scored two goals in her previous Olympics appearance. Now, the 26-year-old welcomes the addition of a former collegiate teammate, Hipp, who won national titles in 2001 and 2003.
Hipp, a Fresno native, earned All-America honors as a goalkeeper for every one of her years in Westwood. Even though she has not played for the Olympic team, Hipp is no stranger to national competition. The 26-year-old joined the program back in 1998 as a member of the youth national team.
“It’s incredible to have another former Bruin on the team,” Golda said. “I’m really fired up for Jamie, and I know she is incredibly excited to be on the team. Hopefully, together, we can bring another gold medal back to UCLA.”
Although she did not come home with the gold medal four years ago, Golda admitted that she felt happy just to make the team. The feeling is different now.
“It was a little different this time than last,” Golda said. “Last time it was the first time I had ever done it, so that was an incredible time for me. This time it’s all business. Making the team was not my ultimate goal ““ now (my goal) is going out to China and bringing home another medal.”
Her quest for that gold medal kicks off in less than a month.
A pair of former UCLA water polo standouts ““ Adam Wright and Brandon Brooks ““ were among the 13 named to the men’s roster. This will be the second time both athletes compete in the Olympics together. They participated four years ago in Athens, when they were members of the national team that failed to capture a medal.
Wright, 31, starred as a collegian, earning All-American accolades in each of the four years he attended UCLA. As teammates, Wright and Brooks helped lead the Bruins to consecutive NCAA titles in 1999 and 2000.
Brooks, a three-time All-American goalkeeper, is the all-time saves leader at UCLA. The 27-year-old, who walked on to the basketball team during his freshman year, is currently an assistant coach for both the UCLA men’s and women’s water polo teams.
The duo, who roomed together as teammates at UCLA, has been busy this summer training in Thousand Oaks. Besides the grueling preparation, their Olympic life has been less than luxurious ever since the U.S. Olympic Committee made cuts to the team’s funding. The athletes have had to use their own money to be a part of the team and have even lived with host families to save money for their trip to China. Most recently, the team held a self-organized event at the UC San Diego pool in La Jolla to raise funds. More than 1,200 fans attended the exhibition match, which was their final contest on American soil before heading off to Beijing.
The Olympics commence in Beijing on Aug. 8 with the opening ceremony. Men’s water polo competition is set to start Aug. 10 in the Ying Tung Pool at the Yingdong Natatorium, with the women scheduled to take the pool the following day.
Each USA team is slated to begin competition in Beijing against China.
“It’s a very small tournament for us because there’s eight teams,” Golda said. “The World Championships have 16 teams, so one could say that would be a better tournament. But this is the Olympic Games ““ everyone trains for this, and everyone lives for this.”