‘Respect’ underscores match

U.S. women’s team tops Russia 16-7 in final tuneup before Rio

STANFORD — A reminder of sport’s importance unfolded Wednesday evening a half-hour before the U.S. women’s water polo team walloped Russia 16-7 in the final tuneup ahead of the Rio Games.

Russian coaches Alexandr Gaidukov and Andrei Belofastov handed their American counterparts two plastic gift bags that appeared to be filled with bottles. Vodka? Da.

The goodwill bags were a “thank you” for allowing the Russians to participate in a three-game Olympic send-off tour that culminated with the finale at Stanford played in front of a capacity crowd of 3,200 screaming fans.

It comes during a trying week for every Russian athlete and sport official who has been under a dark cloud while waiting to see if the International Olympic Committee would impose a blanket ban on the federation for state-sponsored drug use. The Russian water polo team was spared the ban by the world’s governing body of aquatics, FINA. But so far, 105 of the 387 Russian athletes who had qualified for the Summer Olympics have been banned.

Olympics leaders have received scathing criticism for not excluding the entire Russian delegation. U.S. water polo coach Adam Krikorian has not joined the chorus of persecution because of the personal relationships he has made throughout the water polo world.

“People take it much further than it needs to go,” he said, holding his goody bags. “We want to beat them real bad, but at the same time there is a mutual respect for what we do, the sport we love.”

Belofastov, who won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics, didn’t want to talk too much about the specter of drug use that has embarrassed the Russians.

“The only talk is about the Olympics, not the IOC,” he said.

Belofastov wore a face of relief when discussing swim officials’ decision to let the Russian women focus on the Summer Olympics that open Aug. 5. They’ve been learning as much as they can against the top-ranked Americans, who are the first women’s team in history to own the sport’s four major titles simultaneously.

The reigning Olympic champions won the 2015 World Championship, the ’15 World League Super final and the ’14 World Cup. They’ve lost only twice this year — to Australia by 5-4 scores in the course of one week in May.

The Americans won their 34th game of the year convincingly with Stanford senior Maggie Steffens and Cardinal graduate Kiley Neushul each scoring three goals.

Kirkorian, who grew up in Mountain View, is happy for his sport.

“It has been a stressful week for them,” Krikorian said of the Russians. “I can’t imagine being in their shoes. They have this dream and all of a sudden two weeks before the Olympics that dream is in question.”

Olympian KK Clark of Menlo Park has another reason to celebrate Russia’s inclusion to the Games.

“Since we’re investing this time training with them, it’s great this time isn’t wasted,” she said.

Clark and some of her teammates said Wednesday they don’t think about what their opponents might do.

“No matter what, we want to see every team at their best,” Clark said. “I’m happy they get to live that dream out.”