UC Irvine women's water polo head coach Dan Klatt helped the United States capture its first gold medal in an Olympic Games with an 8-5 triumph over Spain in London Thursday.

Klatt, who serves as an assistant coach with the USA Women's Water Polo team, joined the USA Senior National Team coaching staff in April 2010.  The gold medal at the London Games represents the pinnacle for the USA program after previous finishes in Sydney, Australia (2000, silver), Athens, Greece (2004, bronze) and Beijing, China (2008, silver).

The coach of the four-time Big West Tournament champion Anteaters and a former Olympian (USA, 2004) himself, Klatt helped the USA to an unbeaten record in London.  The USA defeated Hungary and China, and tied Spain in pool play, followed by victories over Italy, Australia and Spain in the rematch.

Klatt joins Long Beach State's Misty May-Treanor and UC Santa Barbara's Jason Lezak as Big West representatives who have achieved medals at these Olympics.  May-Treanor won her third straight gold medal in women's beach volleyball and Lezak captured a silver medal as a member of the USA men's 4x100 free relay team.