Silver lining to Stingers’ historic moment

Courtesy olympics.com.au

The Australian Women’s Water Polo Team has claimed the Olympic silver medal going down 11-9 to world number one Spain in a match where they never lost the “Aussie fighting spirit”.

 The performance rockets the Stingers into history as the sport’s second most successful team, eclipsed only by the gold medal side from the Sydney 2000 Games.

For Spain, it was a matter of third time lucky after being beaten for gold at both the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Games.

Captain Zoe Arancici there were mixed emotions after the match; disappointment of missing gold, but elation for taking the historic silver.

“This team has worked so hard for this and I couldn't be prouder of them,” Zoe said.

“They've embodied the Aussie spirit of fighting till the end and I'm so proud of this group.

“To stand here with the greatest bunch of girls with this silver medal is pretty special. 

“This is my top moment for my career and I'm so proud and just humbled to share it with such a special group of girls.”

This is the fourth Olympic medal for Australia. As well as the gold from 2000, the nation won back-to-back bronze medals in 2008 and 2012. 

Coach Bec Rippon was a member of the 2008 team, while assistant coach Taryn Woods was a member of the gold medal-winning side from 2000.

Despite the loss, Brisbane driver Alice Williams was crowned as the tournament’s most prolific scorer with 21 goals, while goalie Gabi Palm was the number one keeper of the Olympics saving 57 per cent of shots on goal. 

Sydney’s Tilly Kearns said the team’s sisterhood and fight-til-the-end approach, underpinned by the leadership of coach Bec, was key to the Stingers’ success.

“The reason why we've been so successful is because we are all so close and we really fight so hard for each other,” she said of the coach who took over just nine months ago.

“We had faith in the new coaching staff. Our program got a little revamp and it spoke wonders.

“The results showed and we just trusted the system and trusted each other and backed each other all the way - that's what's so special about our group.

“Bec was all the difference. She has been in our position before and she just gets us. She lets us feel things because it's totally normal. 

“She inspires us. I want to win every game that we play for her. I think all the girls are the same.”

In the final at La Defense Arena, Australia made their intentions known early with Alice opening the Stingers’ account converting from a 5m penalty within the first two minutes of play.

Spain was quick to respond with Paula Leiton Arrones beating the Aussie goalie just moments later to level the game.

Spaniard Elena Ruiz Barril showed why she was one of the tournament’s best shooters to bring the score to 2-1 at the four minute mark. 

But an in-form Alice helped the Aussies to level at 2-2 claiming her second goal of the match just two seconds before the first break.

The two sides were scoreless for most of the second quarter with impressive keeping by Gabi keeping the Spanish forwards at bay.  

A player advantage with just over a minute on the clock saw Maica Garcia Godoy score to give the Spanish a one-goal lead at half time.

Spain came out firing after the break with Bea Ortiz claiming her first goal within the first 30 seconds of play, then followed up from a 5m penalty to take the score to 5-2.

The Stingers refused to succumb with Abby Andrews keeping her side in the match at 5-3. 

But it was the might of Ortiz that sealed the quarter, claiming her third goal for Spain and notching a hattrick in just two minutes of play.

A goal by Alice five-minutes into the third quarter put the Aussies at 6-4, only to have a foul on keeper Gabi give Spain’s Espar Llaquet a shot at goal. 

Sydney’s Danijela Jackovich scored for the Stingers to bring the score to 7-5.

Olympic debutant Sienna Hearn penetrated the Spanish goal two minutes into the final quarter, but their opponents found the net twice with Ortiz and Garcia Godoy helping their side to a three-point lead.

Alice sealed her status as the tournament’s top scorer with a goal just three and half minutes before the break. Yet the Spanish were relentless with Espar Llaquet and Godoy netting their shots with less than two minutes left in the final.

With pride on the line, Sienna beat the opposing keeper with a powerful shot, followed by a conversion from Alice. But despite their efforts the Stingers were unable to overcome their opponents going down 11-9.

The Aussies remained undefeated in the preliminary rounds, downing Beijing 2008 champions Netherlands, Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winners Hungary, the People’s Republic of China and Canada. 

They claimed the scalps of Greece in the semi’s before downing water polo superpower the USA in a penalty shootout to reach the final.

Spain came into the final with a clean sheet winning all four preliminary matches before taking the scalps of Canada and Netherlands in the playoffs.