“Teams do cost more money but if we’re serious about being a world-class performing nation we’ve got to take some of these team events and really start working on them,” British Swimming chief executive Dave Sparkes told BBC Sport.
“I believe water polo can be one of the star events at the Games.”
Water polo joins indoor volleyball, handball, table tennis, weightlifting and basketball (subject to approval from the governing body) in being guaranteed host-nation places for 2012.
Sir Clive Woodward, Team GB deputy chef de mission and BOA director of sport, said: “The commitment and results that both the water polo teams have shown, and innovative plans developed for water polo, demonstrate that the players will make the nation proud in 2012 and leave a long-term legacy.”
The “commitment” Woodward refers to has been considerable to say the least.
Although Great Britain did not enter a team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they were still given a budget of £3.14m to develop the sport.
However, in the lead-up to the London Games this was initially slashed by over 50%, external, resulting in those from the men’s programme being forced to look abroad for full-time professional contracts.
In December 2009, water polo – along with 10 other Olympic sports – received a funding boost, external, raising their ‘pot’ closer to that which they received prior to the 2008 Olympic Games.
The women’s team have subsequently embarked on fortnightly trips into Europe, where they compete in the Hungarian national league in order to gain experience against world-class opponents.