Maggie Steffens is an accomplished water polo player from the United States. She has achieved the gold medal at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympics. During the 2020 Games, Steffens made history by breaking the Olympic record for the most goals scored by a female player in water polo.
Early Life & Education
Margaret Ann Steffens was born on June 4, 1993, in California. She attended Monte Vista High School and started playing water polo at an early age.
During her time there, she contributed to the team’s success by aiding them in securing the league championship in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Additionally, she was a member of Diablo Water Polo in Alamo, California.
From 2013 to 2017, Maggie Steffens was a member of the women’s water polo team at Stanford University. She was instrumental in leading the team to victory in the NCAA championships in 2014, 2015, and 2017, as well as securing second place in 2013 and 2016.
In 2015, Steffens netted four goals during the semifinal match against USC, leading Stanford to a 9-8 victory. Two years later, she contributed three goals to Stanford’s 8-7 win against UCLA in the championship game, including the game-winning goal with only 9 seconds remaining.
She received the title of MVP for the NCAA tournament in both 2015 and 2017. In June 2017, Steffens earned a Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University.
Maggie Steffens’ Career
In 2009, Maggie Steffens competed in her first international competition, the FINA Junior Women’s World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. She earned a third-place finish in the event.
Additionally, at the age of 16, she made her senior debut at the 10th Holiday Cup in Newport Beach, California. During the competition, held from December 9 to 13, 2009, she scored two goals.
In 2010, Steffens was a member of the United States national water polo team, which emerged victorious in both the FINA World League Super Final and the FINA World Cup. She was responsible for the winning goal against Australia during the final game of the FINA World League Super Final.
Maggie Steffens was crucial in securing the U.S. victory at the 2011 FINA World League Super Final. She also scored the decisive goal in the shootout during the final match against Canada at the Pan American Games.
The U.S. continued their winning streak in 2012, with Steffens scoring 11 goals and leading the team to another FINA World League Super Final victory.
Olympics
Maggie Steffens tied the Olympic single-game record by scoring seven goals in the opening match of the Summer Olympics. During the tournament, she scored 21 goals. This was more than the previous record for most goals scored by a woman in a water polo tournament at the Olympics. This helped the U.S. team secure the gold medal.
Maggie Steffens’ contribution to the United States gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics marked the first time the country had won an Olympic gold in water polo, for either men or women, since the sport’s introduction at the Games.
In 2012, FINA recognized her as the Best Female Water Polo Player, while Swimming World Magazine named her the Female Water Polo Player of the Year. At the 2016 Olympics, she led the U.S. team to another gold medal victory, scoring the most goals at 17.
During the 2020 Summer Olympics, Steffens played a crucial role in Team USA’s victory against Team ROC, scoring her 49th goal and setting a new Olympic record for the most goals scored by a female water player in their Olympic career. This accomplishment helped secure an 18-5 win for the team in their final preliminary-round match.
Maggie Steffens entered into a deal with UVSE, a professional team based in Budapest, in January 2018. She achieved victory in the Hungarian Championship on May 10, 2018.
She then joined Natació Sabadell, a Spanish club, in the summer of that same year, and went on to claim three titles: the Spanish Cup, Spanish Championship, and LEN Euro League.
