Sixteen Trojans Compete At World Aquatics Championships

The 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha showcased the best in water polo and a slew of USC talent. With 16 Trojans having competed for their respective countries. Of that group, five Women of Troy past and future scoring gold medals.

Trojans Emily Ausmus, Kaleigh Gilchrist, Amanda Longan, Denise Mammolito and Bayley Weber helped lead Team USA to another first-place World Championships finish to bring home gold medals. An NCAA champion as a Trojan, Olympian Anni Espar helped Spain edge out Greece in the bronze-medal match.

USC All-American Tilly Kearns had a hat trick in the quarterfinals for Australia en route to a sixth-place finish for the Aussies, while Verica Bakoc and Hayley McKelvey combined forces for Canada, with McKelvey emerging as the top field-blocker in the tournament. The United States, Spain, Australia and Canada women's programs have all now secured tickets to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

On the men's side, former NCAA Champion Kostas Genidounias scored for Greece to edge out two-time defending Olympic champion Serbia for a fifth-place finish. Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic joined forces on Team USA for a ninth-place finish, and Blake Edwards, Jacob Mercep, Nic Porter and Sam Slobodien all capped up for Australia in an 11th-place finish by the Aussies. The USA, Greece and Australia also have all qualified to compete in Paris.

See below for a list of Trojans on each national team at this year's World Championships.

WOMEN
Australia
Tilly Kearns

Canada
Verica Bakoc
Hayley McKelvey

Spain — bronze
Anni Espar

USA — gold
Emily Ausmus
Kaleigh Gilchrist
Amanda Longan
Denise Mammolito
Bayley Weber

MEN
Australia
Blake Edwards
Jacob Mercep
Nic Porter
Sam Slobodien

Greece
Kosta Genidounias

USA
Hannes Daube
Marko Vavic

Players Mentioned

Tilly Kearns

Bayley Weber