Rio Olympics 2016: Stingers, Pearls, Matildas, Hockeyroos, Opals to lead way for Australia

FORGET the blokes, here’s five groups of girls who will be in the fight for gold in Rio. Bring on the Matildas, Pearls, Hockeyroos, Opals and Stingers.

WITH the Matildas safely qualified, Australia can now look to five big chances among women’s teams for medals at the Rio Olympics.

From the top-ranked rugby sevens squad through to the always threatening water polo team — and throw in some basketball and hockey for good measure — Australia’s women could certainly outdo their male counterparts.

WATER POLO

Nickname: Stingers

Coach: Greg McFadden

Players to watch: skipper Rowena Webster. Gemma Beadsworth and Bronwen Knox are back for their third Olympic Games

Most famous moment

Won the gold medal at the first Olympic tournament in 2000. Yvette Higgins scored the winning goal in the final seconds as the Aussies edged out USA 4-3.

Most frustrating opponent

It has to be the United States. Since beating them in Sydney 16 years ago, they have lost three times to them in a row in Olympic competition.

Olympics record

2000 — won gold defeating USA 4-3

2004 — finished fourth after losing bronze medal playoff to USA 6-5

2008 — won bronze. Lost to USA in semi-final and then beat Hungary in playoff

2012 — won bronze. Lost to USA in semi-final beat Hungary in overtime in playoff

Latest form

Finished fourth at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan. After beating Greece, South Africa and the Netherlands in their preliminary group, they then edged out China 7-7 (5-3 on penalties) before losing to USA in semi-final 8-6 and Italy 7-7 (5-3 on pens) in third-place playoff.

They did finish second — beaten by the USA yet again — at the Intercontinental Tournament in Texas last month. After trailing 3-0 early the Aussies rallied to trail 6-5 late on and could have drawn level if Webster’s shot had not hit the post.

What’s ahead

The World League finals will be held in Shanghai in June and the Aussies will get to face the top teams in the world ahead of the Olympics two months later.

Tessa Lavey has impressed for Perth in the WNBL this season.

BASKETBALL

Nickname: Opals

Coach: Brendan Joyce

Players to watch: Liz Cambage will be hoping to put recent controversies behind her while veteran Penny Taylor aand WNBL star Rachel Jarry will play important roles.

Most famous moment

Winning the 2006 world title in Brazil. The Opals, with Penny Taylor leading the way offensively and Lauren Jackson pulling down the rebounds, beat Russia 91-74 in a one-sided final.

Most frustrating opponent

Those damn Yankees again. Australia has lost to them in the last five Olympics.

Olympics record

Failed to qualify for the first two women’s instatements in 1976 and 1980 but qualified for Los Angeles in 1984 and finished fifth. Captained by Jenny Cheeseman they won only one match against Yugoslavia.

1988 — Aussies topped their pool but lost their semi-final against Yugoslavia by one point — 57-56. They were then beaten by the Soviet Union in the bronze medal playoff.

1996 — won the bronze medal. Captained by Robyn Maher, they stunned Russia in quarterfinals before losing to US in final four. They then beat Ukraine 66-56 in bronze medal playoff.

2000 — won all five games in preliminary round, then thrashed Poland in quarters, Brazil in semis but were no match for USA in the final.

2004 — again unbeaten in preliminary rounds, then smashed Kiwis in the quarters, Brazil again in semis but found USA one step too far once more.

2008 — entered the tournament as world champions after success in 2006. Charged through to final but were again given harsh lesson by USA in decider.

2012 — lost one game in preliminaries which left them to face USA in semi-finals. Didn’t get close again but rallied to beat Russia for bronze medal.

Recent form

The Opals won the bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships in Turkey, losing to USA before hammering Turkey to take third. They beat the Kiwis in August last year in two matches to earn Rio qualification and then impressed with an unbeaten in a Rio test event back in January.

What’s ahead

An extended squad of 27 has been selected for four training camps scheduled between now and July.

Madonna Blyth impressed again in the recent series with Great Britain.

HOCKEY

Nickname: Hockeyroos

Coach: Adam Commens

Players to watch

18-year Grace Stewart is making a big impression, Emily Smith got among the goals against the British recently while veteran skipper Madonna Blyth, who made her debut in 2004, is still going strong.

Most famous moment

Olympic gold medals were plentiful over a 12-year period from 1988 to 2000 but perhaps the best of them was the first in Seoul. It was a breakthrough performance and came against the odds as South Korea players had been promised a pension of $1000 a month for the rest of their lives if they won

Olympics record

1984 — fourth

1988 — gold. Australia beat hosts 2-0 after sinking the world champion Dutch in the semi-finals.

1992 — fifth

1996 — gold. won six of seven preliminary games to go straight into decider with South Korea, which they won 3-1.

2000 — gold medal om home soil after Argentina 3-1.

2004 — won only one of their four preliminary games, then beat Japan and NZ to finish fifth.

2008 — finished third in pool after being held to 2-2 draw by China. Then beat Great Britain to finish fifth.

2012 — again finished third in pool and failed to make medal playoffs. Proved too strong for China 2-0 to finish fifth.

Recent form

Improved showing to finish as runners up at World Cup in Holland in 2014. They were second in their pool behind the Dutch before beating USA 2-2 (3-1 on pens) and losing 2-0 to the Dutch in the decider. They won Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow before a series of matches in Singapore in January against the likes of Germany and The Netherlands. They have just finished a six-game home series against Great Britain, which they won narrowly.

What’s ahead

They will complete their preparations for Rio at the Champions Trophy in London in June.

Ellia Green gives the Pearls a big weapon out wide.

RUGBY SEVENS

Nickname: Pearls

Coach: Tim Walsh

Players to watch

Evania Pelite was the standout in the recent Sao Paolo tournament. The 19-year-old is an asset in both attack and defence. Meanwhile, fleet-footed winger Ellia Green has scored some memorable tries over the years.

Most famous moment

The sport may be in its infancy but that hasn’t the stop the Aussies racking up an impressive record. They showed they can adapt to all conditions by winning in Brazil last month in heavy rain.

Olympic record

first time held

Recent form

Australia won the Sao Paulo Sevens, beating Canada 29-0 in the final. And that followed

success in Dubai last December when they hammered Russia in the final 31-12. The Aussies

are well out in front in the current World Series standings with 40 points, 12 ahead of NZ and Canada.

What’s ahead

They have another tournament in Atlanta in the US on April 8 and 9, before heading to Langford in Canada a week later and finishing up their preparations in Clermont, France in late May.

The Matildas have charged into Rio medal contention.

FOOTBALL

Nickname: Matildas

Coach: Alen Stajcic

Players to watch: Emily Van Egmond, daughter of former Newcastle Jets coach Gary, is a skillful presence in the middle of the field. Kyah Simon, Michelle Heyman and skipper Lisa de Vanna are all big threats in front of goal.

Most famous moment

Arguably what they have just achieved by reaching Rio. Winning four games in 10 days against mostly top-quality opposition is a rare feat. Beating Vietnam was expected, but conquering North and South Korea and arch rivals Japan was mightily impressive.

Olympic record

1996 — didn’t qualify

2000 — lost two games to Germany and Brazil, although Sunni Hughes gave them a shock lead against Brazil. They drew 1-1 with Sweden as Cheryl Salisbury scored their first-ever Olympic goal.

2004 — beaten 1-0 by Brazil but came back to beat Greece 1-0 through a Heather Garrock strike. They then drew 1-1 with USA but failed to move on.

2008-2012 — failed to qualify

World Cup record

2015 in Canada: reached the quarter-finals after beating Brazil in round of 16.

2011 in Germany: upstaged Norway to make quarterfinals, then lost to Sweden.

2007 in China: beat Ghana and drew with Canada and Norway to reach quarters.

What’s ahead

The final qualification game on Wednesday night against China, while meaningless in qualifcation, looms as a vital part of their Rio preparation.

Originally published as Rio Olympics 2016: Stingers, Pearls, Matildas, Hockeyroos, Opals to lead way for Australia