Three-time Olympic champion and double winner rides the last water polo wave
“Today is a bittersweet day as I officially retire from the sport of water polo. When I first stepped onto the pool deck at Newport Harbor as an eight-year-old, I had no idea where the sport would take me, and 24 years later, I can safely say that it has taken me places and allowed me to experience things I never thought possible,” said Gilchrist.
Image source: Kaleigh Gilchrist (USA) against Netherlands in Paris 2024/Quinn Rooney/Getty Images/World Aquatics
“To the sport of water polo: thank you for letting me love you for so long and for loving me in moments when I didn’t love you. You allowed me to be a part of something so much bigger than myself. To my teammates, coaches, support staff, fans, my family: I can never thank you enough for making more than two decades of water polo truly incredible,” she said.
“Kaleigh’s Her water polo IQ and understanding of the game are unmatched. She always seemed to know where to put the ball and there were few who could hold a candle to her in the pool. Combined with a perfect blend of competitive spirit and lightheartedness, she had a strong influence on every athlete and staff member associated with our program during her 11-year career with the national team,” said the USA head coach. Adam Krikorian.
She was active in two sports for almost her entire life. Gilchrist has had a masterful career in surfing. She won a national championship as a teenager and traveled the world with surfing icons. It wasn’t until she came to the University of Southern California that water polo came to the fore. After winning an NCAA championship with USC in 2013, Gilchrist was invited to train with the women’s national team, but that had to wait because her surfing schedule was already full.
A year later, it was her turn to play for the US national team and she established herself as a key figure in one of the best teams to ever play soccer. Her run with the red, white and blue is extraordinary. After helping the US national team win a World Cup title, the first of four they would win, Gilchrist made her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro as the United States dominated the competition en route to winning the gold medal in 2016.
In 2017, her love of surfing drew her back to the sea, but it wasn’t long before she made history again in 2018, winning gold at the World Championships. A second world championship title followed in the summer of 2019.
Tragedy of Gwangju
Then tragedy struck. Just a few hours after the gold award ceremony in South Korea Gilchrist was seriously injured when a nightclub collapsed in Gwangju. She underwent surgery and grueling rehabilitation to return to competition more than four months later.
Although it took her a little longer to get back into shape, her perseverance was rewarded when she was named to the Tokyo Olympic roster after the games were postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, Team USA was at the top of the world rankings and once again took home Olympic gold.
“Personally, I have learned never to doubt their abilities,” Krikorian said. “She has beaten the odds in many ways. Her journey over the past five years in particular has been an impressive display of perseverance, discipline and determination. She has often gotten the job done when no one was watching and has been a leader with professionalism every step of the way. I know these skills will continue to benefit others and for the rest of her life.”
Image source: Kaleigh Gilchrist consoles herself after losing the bronze medal final at Paris 2024/Quinn Rooney/Getty Image/World Aquatics
Especially when Gilchrist was convinced her water polo career was over, but encouragement from her teammates and coaches lured her back into the pool. More injuries and surgeries followed, but her tireless work ethic never wavered. She was part of two more World Championship teams in 2022 and earlier this year in Doha, Qatar. She was then named to the Olympic squad for the third consecutive year.
A winner at every level, Gilchrist won CIF and NCAA championships, two Olympic gold medals, four world championship titles, three World Cup victories and three Pan American Games tournaments.
A national team exhibition match in honor of Gilchrist will be announced at a later date. — Courtesy of USA Water Polo.
Did you like this article? Share it with others…
