Super Stingers stun the States to set up a golden final

Paris: Twenty–four years after their pioneering forebears produced one of the defining moments of the Sydney Olympics, Australia’s women’s water polo team won through to their own gold medal play-off by stunning three-time reigning champion, the United States.

As a crowd of 15,000 filled La Defense Arena, each goal was greeted with huge roars by the travelling supporters, who rode the rollercoaster along with the players. Not bad for a sport that, until 2000, was kept out of the Olympics because officials declared it wouldn’t find an audience.

The Stingers celebrate after winning their semi-final nail-biter.Credit: AP

Australia’s female swimmers – who just days ago delivered the most golden of games – had seemingly left their good luck and fortune behind in pool as their Stingers compatriots won a third penalty shootout of these Games, having never led during regulation time, only to emerge 14-13 on penalties.

While the legacy of the Sydney team looms large over this team – ranked sixth in the world and an outsider for even a medal going into this competition – they are now intent on writing their own chapter in the history books.

“We knew we had to fight through that and come back and just never say die. We always talk about being the last one standing, and we stay present,” said drenched coach Bec Rippon after the match.

Rippon is joined in the background by two members of that Sydney team, her assistant coach, Taryn Woods, and operations manager, Bronwyn Smith. A former Stinger herself, she was on the periphery of the Sydney squad, breaking in for selection at the 2004 Athens Games. But she says she, like many young women, was inspired to play for Australia after watching that win.

“It’s something we’ve talked about, wanting to relive that and bring that back to Australia,” she said.

Since winning that inaugural gold, the Australians have twice won bronze, in 2008 and 2012. However, they have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the past two Games.

In Paris, captain Zoe Arancini’s side turned the tables on the world champions, who outplayed them in a three-match series in April, scoring a historic, nail-biting 14-13 triumph after a shootout.

Australia went 6 for 6 in a penalty shootout, and goalkeeper Gabi Palm denied Maddie Musselman on the last attempt of the tiebreaker, sending the Aussies into the final against Spain on Saturday.

While the first iteration of the Stingers fought tirelessly against world bodies for the sport to be included, this team has now slayed the dragon of Team USA – gold medallists at the past three Olympics.

Stingers coach Bec Rippon (right) has taken her squad to the verge of more Olympic gold. Credit: Getty

“I was four years old when they were last in the gold medal game, so it’s been a long time coming, and I’m just so proud of the work that this entire program has put in to get us here,” Stingers defender Bronte Halligan told reporters after the match.

“I hope that we’re inspiring them for [the] next generation to come through because that’s what the Sydney girls did for an entire generation now. Hopefully, we’re doing the same.”

Down 5-2 at half-time, things had looked grim for the Stingers until Queenslander Abby Andrews – born in 2000 – turned the game on its head with an astonishing third period.

She scored four times with her left-handed rockets, and suddenly, a game that had looked easy for the powerhouse US looked precarious as they went into the final period just 7-6 up.

The Americans stretched their lead, but Halligan, daughter of Kiwi NRL legend Daryl Halligan, came up big with two goals to make it 8-8 with three minutes left. The reigning champions twice came close to winning it, but after the near-misses amid a feverish atmosphere, it came down to penalties.

The saved penalty prompted emotional, tearful scenes as the Stingers celebrated the triumph wildly in front of a packed record crowd.

‘We lost to the better team today; honestly, the Australians were so good, so resilient, so tough mentally and defensively’

USA head coach Adam Krikorian

“I just kind of still have no words because that was the performance of our lifetime,” Andrews said after the match.

“I physically cannot believe it. I cried for maybe 20 minutes straight then. I’ve never beaten the USA in an important tournament – world champs, World Cup - nothing.”

The Australians were undefeated in the pool so far at these Games – winning all four group stage encounters (two on penalties) before defeating Greece in the quarter-finals.

Andrews said that while beating the US was a huge milestone, the team – which was just two weeks ago ravaged by COVID in the athletes’ village – had been building game by game, so we’re just going to keep continuing that.

“This is all about belief. We knew we could do it, and we did. And now we have to go win and turn that into gold.”

USA head coach Adam Krikorian, who led the team to gold medal triumphs in London, Rio and Tokyo, said defeat was a rare feeling for his team. They will now play the Netherlands for bronze.

The Stingers are aiming to repeat Australia’s Sydney 2000 triumph.Credit: Getty Images

“This is the reality of life, though; you don’t stand on top of the podium every single time,” he said.

“We lost to the better team today; honestly, the Australians were so good, so resilient, so tough mentally and defensively,” he said.

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