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| Hawai'i's Brandon Brooks is the starting goalie for the United States.
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| Water polo
At Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Maroussi; all Hawai'i times (might differ from TV) USA Men Sunday — vs. Croatia, 9:15 a.m. Tuesday — vs. Kazakstan, 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18 — vs. Hungary, 9:45 p.m Saturday, Aug. 21 — vs. Russia, 9:15 a.m. Monday, Aug. 23 — vs. Serbia and Montenegro, 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24 — Classification 7th-12th, 8:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25 — Quarterfinals (4 a.m., 5:15 a.m.) Thursday, Aug. 26 — 11th place, 8:30 p.m.; Classification 7th-10th, 9:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27 — Classification 7th-10th, 4 a.m.; Semifinals (5:15 a.m., 8 a.m.) Saturday, Aug. 28 — 9th place, 8:30 p.m.; 7th place, 9:45 p.m.; 5th place, 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29 — Bronze Medal, 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 29 — Gold Medal, 4:30 a.m. Canada Women Monday — vs. Russia, 3:30 a.m. Tuesday — vs. United States, 9:45 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20 — vs. Hungary, 3:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 — Seventh Place, 9:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22 — Quarterfinals (4 a.m., 5:15 a.m.) Monday, Aug. 23 — 5th place, 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24 — Semifinals (4 a.m., 5:15 a.m.) Thursday, Aug. 26 — Bronze Medal, 4 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 26 — Gold Medal, 5:15 a.m. |
All are Punahou graduates, and proteges of legendary Buffanblu coach Ken Smith.
"I think it's awesome," said Duplanty, a silver medalist in '88. "It's a tribute to Ken Smith, and the kids and coaches and what Hawai'i has established. ... It's either that or it's the plate lunches."
Given the physical demands the sport requires, a little mac salad might offer the needed edge. Brooks' average training days consist of 90 minutes of lifting, one hour of video work and 5› hours in the pool.
He has been with the national team since 2001, with a break to play his senior year at UCLA, and took over as starting goalie at last year's World Championships. In Team USA's 30 games last summer, Brooks played every minute in 26.
Games consist of keeping his 6-foot-7 frame in the way of shots fired at up to 70 mph, some from point-blank range, to protect a goal that is 10 feet wide and 3 feet high. He does all this while treading water for an hour; players can't touch the sides or bottom of the pool.
"He is a very imposing figure in the goal," said Duplanty, who is four inches shorter. "When he gets up out of the water he is big and takes up a lot of that cage. It's pretty awesome to see. He's not just in there sticking his hands up. He gets out of the water and makes it very difficult on shooters."
Brooks also has a live arm that fuels the Americans' "Showtime" fast-break offense. It is a lethal combination and has helped make the U.S. a legitimate medal contender and the sixth-ranked team in the world.
Last year the United States finished third at the FINA World League Super Finals and won gold at the Pan American Games. This year, it took 3-of-4 against fourth-ranked Greece and upset World Champion and Olympic favorite Hungary last month.
The Americans finished sixth in Sydney, while Brooks was still trying to decide if he should play water polo or the sport he loved best — basketball. His passion for hoops was so strong, he played in the Sweet 16 with Bruin basketball as a freshman.
Ultimately, water polo was more "fun" and its future more promising. Basketball became a form of cross training. The "picks" and fast breaks had clear parallels. From a goalie's standpoint, it helped him get a feel for where the opponents' shots would come from.
"Basketball was always the passion. I like everything about it," Brooks said. "The hard work, creativity, speed, agility and teamwork — that's the one thing that really carries over. Water polo and basketball would be very, very similar if I didn't play in goal."
Smith saw Brooks' infinite potential early at Punahou. UCLA, a perennial national championship contender, was practicing at the school's pool and Brooks begged the Bruins to shoot at him.
"He wasn't intimidated or anything," Smith recalled. "When players look back and see a goalie like that, it instills a lot of confidence. The one big thing Brandon has always had is a belief in himself. It's not cockiness or arrogance, just a calm belief that he can do anything."
Marie-Luc Arpin
Former University of Hawai'i player Marie-Luc Arpin will make her second Olympic appearance for Canada.
Arpin left Manoa in 1998 after a phenomenal freshman season when she led the country in scoring and lifted the Rainbow Wahine to a fourth-place national finish in their first year.
She has trained with the national team since, taking time off to study mechanical engineering at McGill University in Montreal. She plans to graduate next year, and probably play her final year of water polo.
Canada is ranked fourth going into these Games, and is in the same pool with the top-ranked Americans, No. 3 Russia and No. 5 Hungary.
A medal favorite in Sydney, Canada finished fifth and has had a turbulent time since. Six players quit in 2001 to protest Water Polo Canada's rehiring of the coaches. Those coaches were fired, then another coach hired and fired in 2002. Interim coach Pat Oaten was given the permanent job last year.
"Our hopes are high," Arpin said. "We have a very good team, but the competition is going to be very tough so it's impossible to predict the outcome."
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