US water polo players flock to Europe to prepare for Tokyo
By JAY COHENDecember 15, 2020 GMT
Unfurled below the promising American center was the picturesque Liguria coast.
“The scenery, I mean, it’s unbelievable,” Hallock said.
The landscape for his teammates back home is pretty impressive, too.
Hallock, 23, is among 18 U.S. men’s water polo players who joined professional teams in Europe after COVID-19 hampered their training in California. The size of the group is an unprecedented showing for a country that usually places just a handful of players in the top leagues each year.
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Their teams include some of the top programs in the world. Hallock plays for powerful Pro Recco in Northern Italy near Genoa. Hannes Daube and Max Irving swim for Olympiacos in Greece, and Alex Obert plays for VK-Jug in Croatia.