There was less than three minutes to play Friday in the women's Olympic water polo final when emotions started to kick in for Adam Krikorian.

No women's team had ever won consecutive gold medals in the sport, something Krikorian's U.S. team was about to do. No team had ever scored more goals, given up fewer or won by a larger margin than Krikorian's team did in its 12-5 rout of Italy.

Yet Krikorian's emotions had nothing to do with joy or accomplishment. Two days before the opening ceremony of the Rio Games, Krikorian's brother, Blake, was found dead in his car at a Northern California beach. The coroner said he had gone paddle boarding and died of a heart attack. He was 48.

"It was hitting me pretty hard at the end of the game. Just thinking about my brother," the coach said, taking a long pause to compose himself, "thinking about how hard this journey's been."

But it's a journey Krikorian, 42, insisted on finishing. He returned home to California to be with his family, but he had little time to grieve before coming back to Rio in time for his team's first game. Over the next 10 days, his players rewarded him with a remarkable run, winning their six games by a combined 41 goals.

"The thing I kept coming back to was it would be very selfish to let what happened to me personally affect this group and what we have set out to do," Krikorian said. "These girls have worked so hard for four years. Some have worked for their entire lives for this moment.

"So who am I to ruin that for them? I realized that it's not about me, it's about the team."

When it ended, the 13 women lined up on the side of the pool and, one by one, draped their goal medals around their coach's neck.

Maggie Steffens, captain of the team, said it was about making sure Krikorian got his special moment.

"We wanted to make sure that he got the medals as well," she said. "Because coaches don't get them, and he deserves them."

Before sharing their medals with their coach, they also pulled him into the pool in the traditional water polo celebration.

Krikorian hasn't decided whether he'll stick around to see how it all works out. After seven years and two gold medals, the most successful women's water polo coach ever said he needs a break, first for his family and then for himself.

"Honestly, I need to take some time to evaluate where I am," he continued. "I love coaching. I love this team. That doesn't mean this is what I'm going to do the rest of my life. I need to figure that out."

Flag put down

The Tonga flag-bearer who became an unexpected sensation at the Rio Games after marching greased-up and shirtless into the opening ceremonies lost his chance for a gold medal Saturday in the men's taekwondo heavyweight division.

Two weeks after his worldwide debut, Pita Taufatofua walked into an arena shouting "TONGA! TONGA!" He mugged for the cameras, waved to the crowd and theatrically posed in the moments prior to his qualifying-round bout.

Unfortunately for Taufatofua, ranked 157th in the world, he was paired in the first round with the division's No. 2 seed, Sajjad Mardani of Iran. Mardani demolished Taufatofua 16-1 amid fans chanting "Tonga!" in the arena.

Taufatofua said he wasn't expecting the enormous reaction to his appearance in the opening ceremony and hinted that he might have something special -- but quick -- planned for the closing celebrations tonight.

TRIVIA

The U.S. women's water polo team has won how many consecutive games?

ANSWER

1. The team is 40-2 this season.

Sports on 08/21/2016