Water polo: U.S. women sink Spain to retain world title

Marton Dunai

Water Polo – 17th FINA World Aquatics Championships – Women's Water Polo awarding ceremony– Budapest, Hungary – July 28, 2017 – Gabrielle Stone, Madeline Musselman, Melissa Seidemann, Rachel Fattal, Paige Hauschild, Margaret Steffens, Jordan Raney, Kiley Neushul, Aria Fischer, Jamie Neushul, Makenzie Fischer, Alys Williams, Amanda Longan of the U.S. (gold) pose with the medals.Mate Balogh

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The United States proved to be a class apart from their rivals as they thrashed Spain 13-6 to retain the women's world water polo title on Friday.

With the final staged in Budapest's leafy Margaret Island, the Americans won the title for the fifth time in eight editions of the tournament.

Their success was also in stark contrast to the struggles of the American men's team, who could only finish 13th.

"We still have a ways to go but women are celebrated as being athletes, empowered and given opportunities," women's head coach Adam Krikorian told Reuters.

Water Polo – Serbia v Croatia – 17th FINA World Aquatics Championships – Women's Water Polo Gold Medal Match – Budapest, Hungary – July 28, 2017 – Madeline Musselman of the U.S. competes.Mate Balogh

"It allowed the development and the growth of women's water polo (in the U.S.)."

The lack of money in the sport was also blamed as one of the reasons why the sport struggles to attract male talent.