NSW Stars Shine in Olympic Water Polo Preliminary Rounds
Stingers Secure Clean Sweep
The Aussie Stingers have stormed through the preliminary rounds undefeated, securing their spot in the quarter-finals against Greece. NSW athletes have been at the heart of this success:
· In their opening 7-5 victory over China, Bronte Halligan made her mark on the scoresheet.
· A thrilling 8-7 penalty shootout, following a tight 7-7 draw against the Netherlands saw Zoe Arancini, Sienna Hearn, and Bronte Halligan all converting crucial penalties. The match also featured a late cameo from shot-stopper Genevieve Longman who came on as a substitute to produce a match winning save.
· Halligan continued her stellar form with a hat-trick in the 10-7 victory over Canada.
· The final preliminary match against the world number 2 ranked nation Hungary ended in another nail-biting penalty shootout that finished 5-3 after a 9-9 draw during regular time. Keesja Gofers and Zoe Arancini scored in regular time, with Zoe also scoring one of the penalties while Bronte Halligan sealed the deal with the winning penalty shot.
Head Coach Bec Rippon said ”If you come out here and you compete at the right time and on the right day, you can do anything. We know it’s not guaranteed. We’ve had a good start, and we’ve just got to keep going out and just keep focusing on what we can control.”
Sharks Show Their Teeth
The Aussie Sharks have had a rollercoaster ride in the preliminaries, finishing strong to secure their quarter-final berth:
· After a tough 9-5 loss to Spain, the Sharks bounced back with a commanding 8-3 win over defending Olympic champions Serbia. NSW's Matthew Byrnes led the charge with two goals, while Jacob Mercep and Charlie Negus also found the net.
· In a nail-biting 9-8 victory against hosts France, who were backed by a raucous crowd, NSW star Milos Maksimovic bagged a hat-trick, with Angus Lambie also scoring.
· The thrills continued in a 9-8 win over 9-time Olympic champions Hungary, with Blake Edwards, Marcus Berehulak, and Milos Maksimovic all scoring. Nathan Power emerged as the hero, netting twice, including the winner with less than a minute to go.
· The preliminary round concluded with a narrow 14-13 loss to Japan, but NSW athletes Blake Edwards, Milos Maksimovic, and Nathan Power all contributed goals.
Our very own Nathan Power is now looking forward to progressing further into the tournament, he said “We’re making sure we’re in the contest the whole way through. When we’re in an arm wrestle we’ve shown we can make the right decisions with the big wins we’ve had so far.”
Marching onto the Quarter Finals
The tournament now moves into the knockout stages at La Défense Arena in Paris. This venue, converted for Olympic aquatics, will host the crucial matches that determine who advance to the medal rounds.
The Aussie Stingers will be full of confidence after their clean sweep and are set to face Greece in their quarter-final match at 3am overnight on Wednesday 7th August. Greece have played well to get through their group with victory over hosts France confirming their slot after defeats against Italy, Spain and USA.
For the Sharks, a quarter final against the USA is up next, the match also starting at 3am overnight on Thursday 3rd August. USA arrive in the quarters with patchy form after a mixed preliminary round with victories over Romania, Croatia and Montenegro interspersed with defeats to Greece and Italy, so it is all to play for!
These upcoming matches at La Défense will be pivotal for both teams. Based on their preliminary round performances, our NSW athletes are just getting started and are well-positioned to make significant contributions as the tournament progresses.
Show Your Support
As we move into the knockout stages, let's rally behind our NSW stars and the entire Aussie contingent. Set your alarm, don your green and gold, and catch all the action live and free on 9Now.
The Olympic dream is still very much alive for our water polo heroes!
