RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The stakes are high, and failure is the most likely result.
Skip it off the wrong patch of water, and it goes sailing over the goal. Misfire on a lob, and the goaltender grabs it with ease. Watch out for the forest of arms in front of the cage, or it's all over before it even begins.
When it comes to Olympic water polo, players have a myriad of options when shooting on the world's best goaltenders and precious little time to make a decision. They rely on a mix of intuition and an almost instantaneous assessment of the landscape when deciding which option to take.