NEW YORK, N.Y. — Princeton University graduate Ashleigh Johnson and fellow United States National Team member Maggie Steffens appeared on YahooSports THE RUSH with Liz Loza! to talk about the Olympics and more.
To check out the interview with Steffens and Johnson, CLICK HERE.
A Princeton alumna, Johnson stopped 11-of-15 shots as the United States three-peated in women’s water polo action at the Olympics with a lopsided 14-5 defeat of Spain at the Tatsumi Water Polo Centre in Tokyo on August 7.
Johnson – who played until being relieved by back-up netminder Amanda Longan with 2:35 left on the fourth quarter and the United States holding a 13-4 lead – concluded the Tokyo Olympics with 80 saves on 124 shots against.
She previously stopped eight-of-19 shots as Team USA overcame ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) in the semifinals, 15-11, on Thursday, August 5, after playing the first three quarters and stopping 14-of-17 shots with three goals allowed during a 16-5 quarterfinal win over Canada on August 3, dominated throughout the tournament.
The now two-time Olympic Gold Medalist after anchoring Team USA to the 2016 Gold Medal in Rio de Janeiro, started the Tokyo Olympics by posting 15 saves on 19 shots in downing Japan on July 24 (25-4 W), swatting away seven-of-14 shots versus China on July 26 (12-7 W), turning back nine-of-19 scoring tries against Hungary on July 28 (10-9 L) and stopping 16-of-21 shots in a 15-9 handling of ROC on July 30.
Overall, it marked not only the third Gold Medal won by the United States in women’s water polo – but also the third claimed by a former Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) goalie. CWPA Hall of Fame member/University of Michigan goalie Betsey Armstrong helped the United States claim a Silver Medal in 2008 (Beijing) prior to returning to power the United States to the Gold Medal in 2012 at the London games.
About Ashleigh Johnson: Johnson is among only two Tigers’ athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal (in 2016 and 2021) and then come back to compete at Princeton (former United States Senator/men’s basketball player Bill Bradley was the other).
The C. Otto von Kienbusch and Cutino Award winner during her senior season in 2017, she was the first player in Princeton women’s water polo history to be named first team All-America and third ever to be selected All-America in each of her four seasons. Johnson finished her Princeton career with a 100-17 record, along with a school-record 1,362 saves and a .693 save percentage. She was a 19-time CWPA Defensive Player of the Week award winner, a four-time first-team all-conference player and the CWPA Player of the Year.
Johnson’s appearance at the Olympics marked the fourth time in the past four games that the United States’ cage was defended by a CWPA alumna as University of Michigan graduate and CWPA Hall of Fame member Betsey Armstrong was the goalie for the 2008 Silver Medal and 2012 Gold Medal squads.
