Olympic gold for Fischer sisters

When it comes to the word, “gold,” there are a few synonyms that come to mind for the Fischer sisters, Makenzie and Aria. Probably the first synonym would be: “special.”

Winning an Olympic gold medal as sisters would indeed be deemed special. Unique. As the sisters walked down stairs toward a baggage pickup area at John Wayne Airport they again could see, and hear, their unique experience take form.

“USA! USA! USA!” a group of about 50 fans cheered as the Fischer sisters, along with a few others from the U.S. women’s water polo team arrived on Tuesday just before noon. They won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics, and this was another shining moment from a dominant run.

“It’s really hard to explain because it is so special,” Aria said of winning the gold medal with her sister on the team. “It’s almost too special to put into words. But it’s like all the excitement you feel about being an Olympian and winning gold times 10, with doing it with your sister.”

Makenzie and Aria are not sure what they will do with their respective gold medals. Makenzie thought about putting it in a safety deposit box. Aria said she simply wanted to admire it. They were both eager to show the medal to family and friends.

At 17, Aria was the youngest player on the team. She is entering her senior year at Laguna Beach High.

Makenzie, 19, who graduated from Laguna in 2015, is going to Stanford. She’s a two-time CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year.

Orange County is the hotbed of water polo. And, the sport runs deep in the Fischer family. Erich, the girls’ father, was a two-time All-American at Stanford and competed for the U.S. men’s water polo team at the Barcelona Games in 1992, when Team USA finished fourth.

He was thrilled to see his daughters win gold.

“The whole journey was a dream come true,” Erich said. “In fact, it’s sometimes hard to imagine that it happened.

“But it was really real after they won the gold medal and after the ceremony they came up to the edge of the sands. We gave them hugs and got to touch the gold medal. At that point it was pretty unreal, amazing and exciting. You really can’t describe it.”

Makenzie scored two goals in the gold-medal match on Aug. 19, when the Americans defeated Italy 12-5. They went undefeated in the tournament, outscoring their six opponents by a combined 73-32. No game was closer than four goals.

The U.S. women became the first women’s water polo team to repeat as Olympic champion.

The Fischers said it was special to be a part of such an incredible team. The support they received upon their arrival was a bonus. The fans made them realize that the sport can continue to gain popularity not only in Orange County but to other parts of the U.S.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Makenzie said of the reception. “We heard people chanting. It was awesome to see so many people out here for water polo. After 2012, [water polo] surged, now with back-to-back hopefully more people will get involved in the sport and more excited. I think that there are only good things to come.”