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Olympics: How water polo teams recover after 32-minute games that feature constant swimming, treading — and wrestling for position

TOKYO — Moments after the U.S. closed out a grueling victory over China at the Tokyo Olympics, Rachel Fattal and her teammates got right back to work in the warm-down pool at the Tatsumi Water Polo Centre.

Fattal and company have a saying, and it comes up so often in conversation and on social media that its importance to the reigning Olympic champions is clear.

“Recovery never stops,” a smiling Fattal said after the United States’ 12-7 victory Monday. “That’s like the motto of our team.”

It’s one of the biggest keys for all the teams in Tokyo, playing a taxing sport pretty much every other day for the bulk of their stay at the Olympics.