Tokyo Olympics: Australia knocked out of the women’s water polo by Russian Olympic Committee
Australia has been cruelly knocked out of the women’s water polo by a nation that shouldn’t even be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games.
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Australia have been cruelly knocked out of the women’s Olympic water polo tournament after a shock 9-8 quarter-final loss to a Russian team that most fair-minded sports fans believe should never have been allowed to compete at Tokyo in the first place.
Initially banned from all international sports events for four years after being busted for state-sponsored doping, the Russians were only cleared to play at the Olympics after the Court of Arbitration (CAS) lost its nerve and halved the suspension.
Insisting it hasn’t gone soft on cheats, the CAS added some so-called penalties - renaming the team as the Russian Olympic Committee and preventing the playing of the national anthem - but no-one has been fooled by any of those token gestures.
That made it an even more gut wrenching loss for the Stingers, who had gone to Tokyo with genuine hopes of getting back on the podium after missing out on the medals at Rio in 2016.
The Australians sailed into the knockout stage after winning three of their group games and got off to a flyer against the Russians when Keesja Gofers opened the scoring in the first quarter.
But that was the first and last time that the Australians had their noses in front as the eastern Europeans took control, leading by two goals at the end of each of the first three quarters despite an heroic performance by Australian goalkeeper Gabi Palm, who made nine saves, including a penalty to keep her team in the contest.
But it was all to no avail as the Australians struggled to get the ball in the net, despite having 32 shots at goal - 10 more than the Russians, who opened up a four-goal lead in the final quarter then held on grimly.
Asked about Russia’s participation in the Games, Aussie skipper Rowie Webster said:
“You just have to come up against the opposition that shows up on the day and it just so happened to be the Russian Olympic Committee.
“We played them just as tough as we would any other opponent and that’s all we can do.”
Tilly Kearns, the daughter of Wallaby legend Phil, scored with her first touch then Bronte Halligan, the daughter of NRL pointscoring machine Daryl, rifled one into the back of the net to cut the margin to one with 16 seconds left on the clock before time ran out.
The Stingers will play Canada next in the classification round to decide the 5th-8th placings.
REDEMPTION ON THE LINE FOR AUSSIE WOMEN
Erin Smith and Madeline Crittenden
After battling through the qualifying rounds mostly unscathed the Aussie Stingers will be looking for redemption when they take on Russia in the quarterfinal tonight.
Australia’s women’s water polo team won three of their four round games – finishing second in their pool.
The 2016 Games were the first the Stingers had finished outside the top four since women joined the Olympic water polo competition in 2000. They have bought home a gold and two bronzes.
This year the team are medal-hungry and captain Rowie Webster says there is no reason they can’t finish on the podium.
First they have to get through Russia. And then either the USA or Canada. While Russia won just two of their round games Webster is ready for a tough game.
“Russia are a really good team, they are fast, they like to swim and have great centre forwards and outside shooters,” Webster said.
“You never know what you are going to get. I think we need to go back and review our tactics we haven’t played them for a long time.”
Webster said there was no such thing as an easy game at an Olympics.
Knowing you have beaten countries before gives you confidence but these Olympics have shown that anyone can be beaten, the world’s best have been beaten by countries you would not have thought would challenge them,” she said.
Queenslander Gabriella Palm has played as goal keeper in two matches at the Olympics including Sunday night’s game against South Africa.
While she wasn’t given too much to do she saved four of the five shots fired at her.
Palm said her Games experience had been “unreal”.
“It probably wasn’t the type of game we would have liked going into the quarterfinals but we’ll take it,” Palm said.
“This will be our most important match but we are going to practice and prepare and we are going to give it out best shot.”
Palm, 23, said it was crazy to think that if she hadn’t volunteered to play goal keeper for her school team she would never have been an Olympian.
She first tried the sport as a 12-year-old at Brisbane Girls Grammar as a way to meet new friends.
“I was at the try outs and no one else wanted to be goal keeper, I was tall so I put my hand up and it all just kind of went from there,” Palm said.
She fast became a talent in the pool being named the captain of the state under-14 side which won the national title. She was also named goalkeeper of the tournament.
Now, almost 12 years later, Palm is part of the Olympic team.
“It is funny to look back on that day now,” she said.
“I just never thought it would have brought me to this moment.”
A goal keeper is a specialist position which Palm said requires you to be a little bit crazy.
“I have to cop so many balls, I’ve had a few in the face, everywhere really,” Palm said.
“It is a totally different position, the other players have to have their swimming down pat but for goalkeepers it is about the egg beater kick.
“People say being a goal keeper is an individual sport in a team sport.”
She made the Australian team in her age group for the world youth championship (2016) and then the Australian under 20 team before making the jump into the Australian Stingers squad in 2017.
Palm was part of the team that won bronze at the 2018 World Cup and bronze at the 2019 World Championships.
Palm plays and trains with the Queensland Thunder side in the Australian Water Polo League alongside Abby Andrews and Bronwen Knox.
The Stingers will take on Russia at 8.50pm on Tuesday.
Stingers eye medals after victory over Netherlands
The Stingers have powered home to pull off a stunning victory in their second Olympic water polo match against in Tokyo.
The Aussie women’s team beat the Netherlands 15-12 at Tatsumi Water Polo Centre, despite falling behind in the first half, enhancing their hunt for a fourth Olympic medal.
The Netherlands dominated early, ahead 5-8 at halftime.
But the Aussies came back strongly in an epic third quarter, levelling the score. Another four goals came in the last, with the Stingers claiming victory over their opponents — who only managed one goal in the final eight minutes.
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Stinger Matilda Kearns said it was clear her team played with plenty of emotion after their second-half comeback.
“As a team, we play with a lot of heart and we play for each other and it’s amazing being here with these girls who have so much experience,” Kearns said.
“Just seeing the older girls step up and play with composure, it’s a huge learning curve for me.
“It makes me so excited to see what this team can do for the rest of the Games.”
The Aussie women came away from the match two from two after claiming an 8-5 win over Canada in match one.
Abby Andrews, the team’s only left handed player, scored three goals, as did Hannah Buckling, while triple Olympian and captain Rowie Webster, managed two. Zoe Arancini helped herself to a brace, while Brownwyn Knox dominated, the latter securing the win with the last goal of the match.
The Stingers have finished first, fourth and twice-third since women’s water polo was introduced as an Olympic sport.
Netherlands’ player Maartje Keuning said her team lost control toward the end of the match.
“I think we started out really strong and our defence was good,” Keuning said.
“But then in the end we lost some concentration and had some confusion. We were not on the same page at times and that cost us.”
Steely Stingers lay foundation for promising campaign
The Australian Stingers have opened their women’s water polo campaign in style with a polished performance to take down Canada 8-5 in Tokyo.
Australia was first to score with a cracking shot from debutant Bronte Halligan.
Stingers keeper Lea Yanitsas made some amazing saves to keep Canada off the scoreboard, but the Canadians did score late in the quarter to level up at 1-1.
The Stingers started the second quarter strong with Halligan and debutante Abby Andrews scoring the side’s first back-to-back goals.
Bronwen Knox followed up with a third, creating a nice lead, but Canada soon fired back, putting two more on the board.
A missed penalty from Aussie captain Rowie Webster meant the Stingers finished the half just two points ahead 5-3.
Keeper Yanitsas proved invaluable in goal in the first half, saving seven of the 10 on target shots.
The third quarter was a close battle. Canada called a time-out with three minutes to go in the third quarter and came out and fired one straight into the back of the net — closing Australia’s lead to just two points, 6-4.
Halligan netted her third of the game soon after, extending Australia’s lead to three points, which is how it stood at the end of the third quarter.
Australia called a time out with just under six minutes to go in the match.
Webster managed to power one into the net — her first goal of the tournament — creating a three-goal lead with just more than a minute to go.
Australia will next play Netherlands on Monday.
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Originally published as Tokyo Olympics: Australia knocked out of the women’s water polo by Russian Olympic Committee
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