In May, Taylor Swift performed a concert at La Défense Arena in Paris, which just so happens to be the same place where the semifinals and finals of the 2024 Olympic water polo competitions will be held.
That same weekend, the United States’ women’s water polo team was in Paris for a test tournament. Captain Maggie Steffens said they traveled to France as a way to “almost get the distractions out of the way then so we can be really focused and dialed-in now.”
What’s a better way for the gold-medal favorites to relax and see the stadium where they will hopefully play for a fourth-straight gold than a Taylor Swift concert?
Steffens told reporters in Paris on Wednesday someone with their team reached out to Swift’s team to see if they could get tickets to the show. After not hearing anything back, they turned to the official USA Water Polo Hype Man, Flavor Flav.
“Flavor Flav found out, and he reached out to their team, and she – Taylor Swift’s team – gifted our team tickets to go watch her perform, which was pretty amazing,” Steffens said.
A few months ago, Steffens put out a call for support for the U.S. women’s water polo team. Flav responded and has since made a deal to sponsor both the men’s and women’s teams for the next five years. He’s been going to games, got in the water and practiced with a team a bit, and will be in Paris to cheer them on.
Steffens said Flav’s vocal support has opened the door for new fans from across the country to learn about their team.
“That’s exactly what sports like us need,” she added. “He’s been really great at shining any light back on us, and we look forward to having him here in Paris and just keeping that positive energy going.”
