When the US women’s water polo team take to the pool at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, they will have a very special guest cheering them on.
Renowned US rapper Flavor Flav announced a five-year sponsorship deal earlier this year and has now travelled to Paris to support the women in pursuit of a fourth straight Olympic gold medal.
He is an official team sponsor and their designated ‘hype man’, even joining them in the pool for training and scoring against goalkeeper and two-time Olympic champion Ashleigh Johnson. If that does not show his commitment – and prowess in the pool - listening to Flavor Flav speak about the team will.
The rapper became aware of the team’s background when captain and three-time Olympic champion Maggie Steffens posted on social media asking for support, which his manager showed him, instantly captivating the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.
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Flavor Flav joins the journey
“I read the story and decided I would love to step in and help these girls out,” Flavor Flav explained in a press conference on Friday, 26 July, “because these girls are on a journey. They’ve been on a fantastic journey. Everybody wants to feel like somebody has their back, it makes them feel more powerful and better.
“It gives them a lot more energy to go out and get their fourth gold medal, because these girls got three gold medals right now, I want to see them get a fourth and I want to help them out. I just want to thank the girls too for even accepting my offer of sponsorship for the team.”
The U.S. have won three gold medals in a row at London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In fact, they have won a medal at every Olympic women’s water polo competition since its inception into the Games at the beginning of the century.
This year’s squad definitely feel the support of Flavor Flav, who has given them an extra boost both financially and motivation-wise.
“He has totally joined our team in terms of his energy and his authenticity,” Steffens explained in a team press conference on Wednesday, 24 July. “He has really opened the door and window to a pathway for people to learn. Our team and different communities, different people who would have never heard of the sport of water polo.”
Maggie Steffens (left) and Ashleigh Johnson of Team USA appreciate the support of Flavor Flav (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Flavor Flav jumps straight in
Johnson added: “Even us watching him get in the water, I think that it evolved our perception of him a bit. He jumped right in the water, he was sprinting next to us, picked up a ball and was like, ‘Ash, get in goal!’ And I was like, ‘I love this confidence!’”
One of the biggest benefits of Flavor Flav’s sponsorship has been bringing new audiences to water polo, particularly encouraging groups traditionally not represented in the sport to pay attention and even get involved.
Johnson, who became the first black woman to be selected for the U.S. Olympic water polo team, explained: “I see people of color asking questions about water polo and wanting to start playing. That’s a different community that I’ve seen talking about the sport than the whole time I’ve been on this team.
“For him to be with us in our team in this moment and then seeing it on social media, seeing the community in it with us, I was like, ‘This is really awesome’.”
Flavor Flav will be supporting from the sidelines throughout Paris 2024, as well as seeing other sports around the country – he is keen to see Simone Biles in action (though who isn’t?) and bring more and more people in to watch water polo.
Flavor Flav: ‘Water polo is a sport for everybody’
“I feel like it’s a sport that’s been forgotten about after it’s played, and I want everyone to start remembering the sport,” the rapper said. “I want to make water polo really memorable. I don’t consider it as a sport of color, I consider it a sport of everybody.”
Everyone at Team USA is vying for a historic fourth consecutive gold, extending this remarkable dynasty ahead of their home Games at LA 2028. But first the focus is fully on Paris, and Flavor Flav has got some special plans for the team if they are triumphant.
“If they win gold, I’m going to gift them all a clock!” he promised, a reference to his iconic clock necklaces for which he has a special custom-made waterproof one for Paris 2024. He also says that he will send the players and their families on a cruise after the Games, hinting at another special surprise which remains unnamed.
In fact, he made another promise at the end of his press conference. “We’re working on a women’s empowerment record called ‘She Got Game’,” he revealed, “and I’m gonna go home and write a song tonight for the Olympics.”
The U.S. get their Olympic campaign underway on 27 July against Greece, so if you hear an energetic beat and a cry of “Yeah, boyeeeeee!”, you will know what time it is.
