Lots and Lots of Olympic News!

We're getting very near the end of the Rio Olympics, so let me see how much news I can mention here:

The U.S. women's water polo team defended their 2012 Olympic championship and won the first back-to-back gold medals in history.  They beat Italy, who had better luck in men's volleyball (see below).

Helen Maroulis became the first woman to win a gold medal in wrestling, defeating a favorite, Japan's Saori Yoshida.

The U.S. men's volleyball team was on the verge of being eliminated from playing for the gold medal game by the Italians, then came back to . . . almost win the match.  They came back against the Italians and held them back for as long as they could, though, in the end, the Italians won the match.  but they didn't win easily.  Italy - whose men's volleyball team has a Russian ethnic on it - will p[lay Russia or Brazil for the gold medal.  The Americans still have a chance of wining the bronze.  At least I don't have to root for Bulgaria this time.

Oh, and here's something I just found out about Katie Ledecky: she's the first American woman to win the 200-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter freestyle swimming races in the Olympics since Debbie Meyer in 1968. Meyer is a native Marylander too.

Back in a flash with more splash and dash.