LA JOLLA, Calif. – Matt Ustaszewski, Associate Head Coach of the UC San Diego men's water polo team, recently returned to the U.S. after four weeks of traveling – a week of pre-Olympic training in Hawaii and three weeks in Tokyo, Japan for the 2020 Olympic Games. Ustaszewski served as a member of the technical personnel for the U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo coaching staff. Performing primarily as the video coach, he assisted with scouting reports and worked closely with the goalies to help prepare Team USA for its international competition at the prestigious Games.  
 
"It was a great honor to represent the United States of America at the 2020 Olympic Games," Ustaszewski stated. "I am grateful on so many different levels. I'm thankful that Head Coach Dejan Udovicic, coaching in his fourth Olympic Games, has shared so many of his experiences with me. The opportunity to learn from him and the rest of his staff has been extremely valuable."
 
Team USA opened its Olympic Tournament on Saturday, July 24 with a 15-13 win over host-country Japan. The U.S. then defeated South Africa 20-3 prior to a nail-biting 12-11 loss to Italy. The Americans advanced to the Quarterfinals where they were narrowly defeated 12-8 by Spain. In the 5th-8th place semifinal, the U.S. returned with vengeance, knocking down Italy 7-6. Ultimately, the Red, White and Blue took sixth-place overall after a final hard fought 14-11 match with Croatia.
 
The result equaled the second-best Olympic finish for Team USA in the last 25 years, tying the team's sixth-place mark in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
 
 
"It was exciting to work with these amazing athletes, who have truly sacrificed themselves during the past five years to make it to this moment," Ustaszewski continued. "I am fortunate to have the support of the UC San Diego men's water polo program and Head Coach Denny Harper, who has always encouraged me to participate in elite level international competition. The opportunity to bring this experience and knowledge back to La Jolla and expose it to our current and future Triton scholar-athletes is priceless."
 
"Lastly, I am lucky to have such an amazing family who have allowed me to embrace this adventure and dedicate myself to helping our country prepare to play to the best of our abilities."
   
Ustaszewski's time in Tokyo was just one of many experiences he's had with the U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team. Becoming a member of the organization in 2018, Ustaszewski was on staff during the FINA Intercontinental Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, where the Americans took home a gold medal. 
 
In addition, over the past two years, Ustaszewski witnessed Team USA win gold at the Wenjiang International Water Polo Tournament and further represented America at the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea. Just prior to the 2020 Olympic Games, he helped guide the team to a silver medal at the 2021 FINA World League Super Final in Tbilisi, Georgia.
   
Ustaszewski will have a few short weeks of down time before he returns to La Jolla to prep the Tritons for their fast approaching 2021 season. 

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.