The Great Britain water polo teams for London 2012 have been announced.
Squads of 13 men and women were selected to represent the host nation for the Olympics, which kick off in just over a month.
Craig Figes, the captain of the men's team, said it was exciting for those that made the team, but described it as a "horrible day" for those that missed out.
Speaking after the announcement at the headquarters of GB water polo at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, he said: "It's a really exciting day for the 13 men and 13 women who were finally selected for the London Olympics.
"Obviously it's a sad day for the guys and the girls who have worked so hard in the squad for the past five plus years, and who unfortunately haven't made the cut.
"So it's a day of mixed emotions. A day of great excitement for 13 of us, but a horrible day for the people who didn't quite make the team.
"The last couple of weeks building up to selection have been pretty tense, but now the selection's done and we've officially been named as part of Team GB, it's excitement building now."
The men's and women's teams have prepared differently for the Games, with the men playing for European club teams for the past one or two years and the women training as a group in Manchester, and playing in the Hungarian national league.
At the Olympics, which start on July 29 in the Water Polo Arena, the men will face a tough group stage with matches against reigning champions Hungary, the United States and Serbia - the silver and bronze medallists in 2008 - as well as Montenegro and Romania.
The women's team will take on Italy, Russia and Australia, bronze medallists from Beijing.
Water polo was first played by men at the Olympics in Paris in 1900 and Great Britain won the gold medal.
However, the last time a men's team was entered for a Games was in 1956.
The sport was only introduced for women at the Sydney Games in 2000, but Great Britain has never entered a women's team.
Men's team coach Christian Lordache said the opportunity to play at the London Olympics has allowed the sport to develop.
He said: "This wasn't possible without the belief and commitment of all the athletes who are in the water polo programme, in order to create a culture and a tradition for this sport, or maybe recreate something that was there a long time ago."
Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt said: "It is great to announce another piece of British Olympic history with the selection of the first ever Team GB women's water polo team to compete at the Olympic Games, and the first men's team to feature since the 1956 Olympics.
"Both the men's and women's squads have an abundance of young athletes, which bodes well for the future of the sport.
"While both teams face stiff opposition in their respective groups I have every confidence that with the support of the home crowd behind them they will deliver very competitive and credible performances."
Women's captain Frances Leighton said: "It's a massive congratulations and excitement for the 13 of us who have made the team and will be competing at the Olympics.
"Suddenly, I'm starting to think, actually this is really really exciting.
"Now we know the girls who will be working together of the next five or six weeks. It's just about getting a lot of hard work done now over the next few weeks and months."
Women's team:
Rosemary Morris
Robyn Nicholls
Frances Leighton
Angela Winstanley-Smith
Lisa Gibson
Rebecca Kershaw
Ciara Gibson-Byrne
Fiona McCann
Chloe Wilcox
Francesca Clayton
Francesca Painter-Snell
Alexandra Rutlidge
Hazel Musgrove
Men's team:
Edward Scott
Matthew Holland
Joseph O'Regan
Jake Vincent
Robert Parker
Craig Figes
Ciaran James
Glen Robinson
Sean Ryder
Adam Scholefield
Jack Waller
Sean King
Alexander Parsonage
