In the abbreviated Olympic history of women’s water polo, the United States is the most successful squad in the world. But for all their success — two silver medals and a bronze in the three Games since the sport started — the Americans remain unfulfilled for one glaring, golden reason.

That elusive gold medal is what drives Tumua Anae, born in Hawaii, raised in Southern California and heading home to Laie as soon as she leaves the pool for good. Anae is backup to U.S. goalie Betsey Armstrong, one of the greatest players in the game.

Anae wears her reserve status with grace. She concedes it is tough to work so hard and often be more "moral support and analyst" than physically active, but realizes she has to be "just as engaged as anyone in the game." She leaves no doubt about what she and her teammates want in London.

"To win the gold medal," Anae says with finality. "At the end of the last game, if we have gold medals around our necks, I don’t care if I play a second or eight full games. If I don’t play a minute I would be completely happy and satisfied with my experience."

Team USA has won every other major tournament and, to hear Hawaii’s Chris Duplanty — a goalie at three Olympics — tell it, the question over the next three weeks is not if the U.S. women will medal, but what color the medal will be. The competition is complicated because teams are so close, but Duplanty is adamant, and exceptionally educated.

He won a silver medal in the 1988 Games as a backup. He played behind Craig Wilson again in ’92, then was the starter and captain in 1996. After the U.S. women finished eighth at the 1998 World Championships, he was asked to be their assistant coach and he stayed through the sport’s debut in 2000 at Australia. The Aussies scored with 0.2 showing to beat the U.S. in the gold-medal game.

Duplanty knows about being a reserve and about Anae’s team, which still features 2000 Olympians Heather Petri and Brenda Villa. His water polo roots remain strong and he was asked to speak to the players Wednesday before they left for London.

He barely knows Anae, who won an NCAA Championship her senior season at USC and was a finalist for player of the year. But he sensed from his short meetings that she was "truly a terrific person" whose commitment is absolute.

"She and Betsey have a really good kind of partnership," he says. "Clearly, Tumua understands her role as backup and is not threatened or intimidated by it. She understands how to be a strong, integral part of the team, whether she is in the pool or out. From a coaching perspective, that sort of understanding is critical."

Anae understands much more, including essentials often hard to put into words.

"While the physical training is essentially the same, being in a backup position means that you must really be mentally tough," Duplanty said. "For example, you have to learn how to be ready to perform at your highest level on short notice — a seemingly simple concept not easily mastered."

Anae speaks of her team’s "sense of purpose," born of the narrow Olympic misses, and its gritty wins at other major events. She also speaks of its great depth.

"We had a training camp last year and every girl who was there was good enough to play in an Olympic final," Anae says. "Coming off the bench we have such depth that we can go 6-for-6 and you don’t see a drop-off in talent or speed or anything in the second rotation."

It is the Americans’ time. They can feel it. Again.