Jesse Smith (water polo)

Jesse Smith

Personal information
Born	April 27, 1983 Kailua, Hawaii
Residence	Thousand Oaks, California
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Water polo
Medal record Men's water polo Representing the  United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Team competition Pan American Games 2011 Guadalajara Team competition

Jesse Smith (born April 27, 1983) is an American water polo player. He was an All-American at Pepperdine University and then played in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics for the United States national team. He helped the team win the silver medal in 2008. He currently plays for LEN Champions League powerhouse Olympiacos in Greece.

Career

High school

Smith played water polo for Coronado High School. He helped the team win three San Diego Section CIF Division II titles from 1998 to 2000. He was named the San Diego Union Tribune Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000.^[1]

College

Smith then played for Pepperdine University. He was named to the All-American first team in 2002 and 2004. In 2003, he led Pepperdine with 55 goals.^[1]

International

At the 2003 Pan American Games, Smith scored in three games and helped the U.S. win the tournament. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, he scored nine goals. The U.S. finished seventh.^[1] Smith scored six goals in the 2005 FINA World Championships, but the U.S. finished in 11th place.^[1]

Smith, who scored eight goals, was a member of the team that won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. He was also a member of the teams that finished fifth in both the 2006 and 2007 FINA World League Super Finals. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Smith scored three goals and helped win a silver medal for the U.S.^[1]

In 2009, Smith played on the U.S. fourth-place teams at the World Super League Final and World Championships. The U.S. also finished fourth in the 2010 FINA World Cup. In the 2011 Pan American Games, Smith scored six goals, as the U.S. won the gold medal in that tournament again. He scored three goals at the 2012 Summer Olympics; the U.S. finished eighth.^[1]

Professional

Smith has played professionally for Greece's Olympiacos Piraeus, Ethnikos Piraeus and Italy's Savona.^[1]

Personal

Smith was born in Kailua, Hawaii, on April 27, 1983.^[1] He lives in Thousand Oaks, California.^[2] He is 6 feet, 4 inches tall.^[1]

Smith is married and has two sons, Brooks and Samuel.^[2] His father played water polo at Coronado High School. His brother played water polo at Stanford.^[3]

References

1. "Jesse Smith". usawaterpolo.org. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
2. "Jesse Smith". teamusa.org. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
3. "Jesse Smith". london2012.com. Retrieved August 23, 2012.