Loomis' Alex Obert is out of retirement and heading to Paris Olympics for water polo

LAST TIME. YEAH, THERE’S A SENSE OF BEEN THERE, DONE THAT WITH THIS YEAR’S U.S. OLYMPIC MEN’S WATER POLO TEAM ROSTER, AND THAT’S A GOOD THING. IF YOU ASK THREE TIME OLYMPIAN ALEX OBERT, THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR FIRST OLYMPICS AND YOUR SECOND OLYMPICS. THE KIND OF THE NERVES. JUST KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE DAY. HERE’S OVERWORKING INSIDE POWER MOVE. WHEN I SAW TEN OUT OF 13 RETURNING ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS, WOW, THAT’S A LOT OF EXPERIENCE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE TEAMS THAT HAVE MEDDLED IN THE PAST, THEY USUALLY HAVE A FEW NEW GUYS AND A LOT OF RETURNERS RETURNING BACK. ALEX GREW UP IN LOOMIS, CALIFORNIA, DIDN’T START WATER POLO UNTIL HE WAS 1521. HE PLAYED AT UOP, PLAYED PRO OVERSEAS AND COMPETED FOR TEAM USA AT BOTH THE RIO AND TOKYO GAMES. THE OLYMPICS IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPETITION I COULD REACH. THERE’S NOTHING PAST HERE. THERE’S NOTHING MORE THAN REPRESENTING YOUR COUNTRY, TRYING TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES, WORKING FOR FOUR YEARS FOR A TWO WEEK SPAN. IT’S NO OTHER COMPETITIONS LIKE IT. ALEX RETIRED AFTER TOKYO GOT MARRIED, GOT A JOB AND IS NOW A DAD. THEN CAME THE CALL ASKING IF HE’D COME OUT OF RETIREMENT FOR ONE MORE GO AT GOLD. YOU GUYS WANTED A LOT AND I THINK YOU SEE IT IN THE NUMBER OF RETURNERS WE HAVE. AS IN THE LAST OLYMPICS, WE ONLY HAD FOUR RETURNERS I THINK BEFORE THAT IN THE 2016 GAMES, IT WAS 4 OR 5 RETURNERS. AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE IN TEN GUYS COMING BACK, KIND OF PUT FOR A LOT OF GUYS PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON HOLD TO MOVE TO EUROPE TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY, NOT START THEIR CAREERS OR THEIR FAMILIES AT THAT POINT. UM, THE GUYS WANT IT NOW. IT’S TIME TO FIGHT FOR IT. ON THE ROAD TO PARIS. I’M DEIRDRE FITZPATRICK. YEAH, THAT’S A HUGE SACRIFICE TO COMPETE AT THAT LEVEL. THE US MEN HAVE MEDALED MULTIPLE TIMES AT THE OLYMPICS, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER GOTTEN GOLD BEFORE. NOT UNTIL THIS YEAR. FINGERS CROSSED. ALL RIGHT. THE AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE WON THE LAST THREE OLYMPIC GOLDS AND WILL MAKE HISTORY THIS SUMMER IF THEY WIN A FOURTH. ALEX SAYS HE’LL RETIRE FOR THE

Going for the three-peat and hopefully gold, Loomis water polo player Alex Obert is heading to the Paris Olympics. The Del Oro High School grad retired after the Tokyo Olympics, got married, had a child and started a finance job with Experian. Last year, Obert got a call asking whether he'd consider coming out of retirement. With the blessing of his wife and employer, he got back in the pool. He's now one of 10 athletes who competed in Tokyo and is now named to the 13-member Paris roster. Experience matters at the Olympics. "I think it just takes us to a whole other level of professionalism. When a lot of us first went to the Olympics, we were still in school. We were young kids. Now, pretty much everyone that is returning has played abroad and has been a professional. It just brings a sense of calmness and knowing what the job we need to get done," Obert said.The U.S. men have medaled in Olympic water polo but never won gold. The women have won three consecutive gold medals. Winning a fourth gold medal would make history as no team, men's or women's, has won four consecutive gold medals. Obert hopes the sacrifice of the 10 returning Olympians will help Team USA finally win it all. Obert said, "Even in retirement. I still had that itch to compete at the highest level. I didn't know if I was going to be able to make the comeback. But I was able to make it enough to come back and help the team and that's all I want to do is help the team compete win."Check out more of Deirdre Fitzpatrick's conversation with Alex Obert on the "Dying to Ask" podcast. As the Paris Olympics draw closer, we're profiling Olympians with Northern California ties. See more Olympics stories here | Download our app.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Going for the three-peat and hopefully gold, Loomis water polo player Alex Obert is heading to the Paris Olympics.

The Del Oro High School grad retired after the Tokyo Olympics, got married, had a child and started a finance job with Experian.

Last year, Obert got a call asking whether he'd consider coming out of retirement. With the blessing of his wife and employer, he got back in the pool.

He's now one of 10 athletes who competed in Tokyo and is now named to the 13-member Paris roster.

Experience matters at the Olympics.

"I think it just takes us to a whole other level of professionalism. When a lot of us first went to the Olympics, we were still in school. We were young kids. Now, pretty much everyone that is returning has played abroad and has been a professional. It just brings a sense of calmness and knowing what the job we need to get done," Obert said.

The U.S. men have medaled in Olympic water polo but never won gold. The women have won three consecutive gold medals. Winning a fourth gold medal would make history as no team, men's or women's, has won four consecutive gold medals.

Obert hopes the sacrifice of the 10 returning Olympians will help Team USA finally win it all.

Obert said, "Even in retirement. I still had that itch to compete at the highest level. I didn't know if I was going to be able to make the comeback. But I was able to make it enough to come back and help the team and that's all I want to do is help the team compete win."

Check out more of Deirdre Fitzpatrick's conversation with Alex Obert on the "Dying to Ask" podcast.

As the Paris Olympics draw closer, we're profiling Olympians with Northern California ties. See more Olympics stories here | Download our app.

Loomis' Alex Obert is out of retirement and heading to Paris Olympics for water polo

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