Meet Ashleigh Johnson, the astounding water polo player being called the future of the sport

Every day of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Fusion is highlighting a handful of the Games’ thousands of athletes. They won’t always be Americans, but they will always be worthy of your cheers.

Ashleigh Johnson
Team USA, Water Polo
When she’s competing: Thursday, August 11 at 10:45 a.m.

Johnson is making history as the first black member of the U.S. women’s water polo team. She is already one of the best water polo goalkeepers of all time, having been named the 2015 Collegiate Water Polo Association Player of the Year at Princeton. There, she is already the career saves leader after just three season, the Sun Sentinel said. USA Water Polo CEO Christopher Ramsey has called Johnson “the future of [the] sport.”

Johnson told the Sentinel she is proud to make history.

“It’s really amazing to have the opportunity to represent a whole population of people in this sport,” Johnson said. “It’s really cool to be someone that other people who look like me can look up to, and put themselves in my position, and know that they can aspire to be in my position one day. All it takes is that first person to kind of break the mold.”

According to The Associated Press, Johnson, who stands at 6′ 1”, “has long arms, perfect for firing outlet passes for U.S. counterattacks and guarding the top parts of the goal, and she cuts through the water with impressive ease.”

Ki Bo bae
South Korea, Archery
When she’s competing: Thursday, August 11 at 2 p.m.

Ki is currently ranked the third best archer in the world; one year ago, she was the best. In the 2012 London games, she won two gold medals, and has already won one in Rio. She is known as “the face of archery in the Republic of Korea,” whose team has long been the best in the world.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.