Australia has created a powerful legacy by winning their first water polo silver medal in Paris, Editor at Large Louise Evans watched the drama unfold.
An historic silver medal won by the women’s water polo team has reestablished Australia as world leaders who will inspire and build the next generation of Olympic Amazons.
Liz Weekes, a Sydney 2000 Olympic water polo champion, also predicted that the next two Olympics in 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane would reap the rewards won by Australia in the Paris.
Weekes, now an Australian Olympic Committee executive member, was poolside all week as the Stingers maintained their unbeaten rush to the final where they were stopped by the fearless Spanish favourites, who won the hard fought 11-9 gold-medal match.
Weekes was not dismayed by missing the gold, instead pointing to the guaranteed success that silver will deliver.
“The girls put it all out there, I am so proud of them,” said Weekes, who was instrumental in winning the fight to have women’s water polo included for the first time at the Sydney Games, where Australia won the inaugural gold medal.
“They were so close to the Spanish, the top teams in the world are all so close, there’s just a few goals between them.
“Our girls have been phenomenal all week, and improved with every game. Bec (Rippon coach) has created such an incredible team culture. Those girls are brave and they really had a crack.”
Weekes, who was the Sydney 2000 goalkeeper, had special praise for Australia’s current keeper Gabi Palm who made 69 saves during the Olympic campaign.
“We have an incredible goalkeeper in Gabi Palm,” Weekes said. “She is a calm brick wall. She has been incredible all week and has kept Australia in it.”
Weekes also commended top scorer Alice Williams and fellow gun Abby Andrews as well as the tenacity of the whole team who she said have created a powerful legacy in Paris.
“Alice and Abby know how to put the ball in the back of the net. They are weapons. I am glad I do not have to face them,” Weekes said.
“The Stingers have evolved so much and it has been an honour and a privilege to watch them in Paris. They are next-level. My daughter plays water polo too and they are her heroes.
“What they have done will inspire a whole new generation by winning this silver. It is historic. They have put Australia back in the medals where we can be and where we should be.
“I have never been so proud to be an Aussie Stinger. I felt like I was in the water with them. It was a fight to get women’s water polo in the Olympics not just to win our gold in 2000 but for this silver medal and for the next medal.
“It has put Australia in a great position for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This team is young and most of them will go again. Their success will secure more funding and put Australia on an even better footing for another crack in LA and Brisbane (2032).
“Nothing could be more inspiring to all those teenagers watching back home. They backed themselves and believed in each other. They are fearless and brave. Young girls looking up to them will thrive because of them.”
Despite formidable form heading into the final Australia ran into a Spanish Armada in the final, built on strong defence, a powerful attack, deceptive plays, fast manoeuvres and unbreakable confidence.
Williams, Australia’s lead scorer with five final goals and top scorer with 21 in Paris, said she was overwhelmed with pride and paid tribute to former Olympic players including Weekes who are part of the team’s history.
“We were undefeated until the gold medal game and no one expected that but us,” Williams said. “We surprised the world.
“This is huge. I really hope we’ve inspired a lot of young kids because it starts from the grassroots, and that’s how we got here. I’m standing on the shoulders of all the Stingers that came before me.”
After a 2-2 first quarter Spain snuck ahead for a 3-2 second-quarter lead and stayed in front for the rest of the final played in front of a howling crowd of 15,000.
Spain was 7-5 at the third break and were on-course for gold in the fourth when Australian coach (Bec) Rippon reminded the Stingers that this was a “never-say-die moment” in history. They knew it but couldn’t execute it.
The odds were stacked against Australia in the final as Spain were the dual Olympic silver medallists from Tokyo and London 2012, plus Australia had only ever beaten them once in their last seven matches.
The Stingers’ unbeaten path to the Paris Olympic final was in itself historic. They won all their four pool matches defeating China (7-5), the Netherlands (15-14) in a penalty shootout, Canada (10-7) and Hungary (14-12) in another penalty shootout.
In the quarter finals they defeated Greece (9-6), an emotional victory that broke a 12-year Olympic drought.
They then stunned the mighty USA (14-13) in the semis guaranteeing the Stingers their first medal since winning bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
It was goalkeeper Palm who made the crucial save that stopped the USA assault in sudden death and lifted Australia into the gold medal match.
“I’m just so proud to represent Australia, it’s unbelieve to win silver and it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Palm said. “To have my parents and supporters here is just so special and you can’t put a price on that.”
The Stingers have now won four Olympic medals since water polo was introduced for women in Sydney, including the gold there and bronze at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
They then suffered a two-Games drought when they lost the quarter-finals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo.
The silver medal in Paris has also written another significant chapter in the Stingers Olympic journey as they build toward the 2028 Los Angeles and another home Games in 2032.
Brisbane will bring the Stingers’ story full circle, 32 years after their Games debut and their sole gold medal – so far.
“It’s pretty incredible what we put forward, and it’s really promising for the future,” Williams said.
Louise Evans is an award-winning journalist who has worked around Australia and the world as a reporter, foreign correspondent, editor and media executive for media platforms including The Sydney Morning Herald (eight years), The Australian (11 years) and Australian Associated Press (six years in London, Beijing and Sydney).
A women sports’ pioneer, Louise was the first female sports journalist employed by The Sydney Morning Herald and the first female sports editor at The Australian. Louise went on to work at six Olympic Games, six Commonwealth Games and numerous world sporting championships and grand slam tennis events.
Louise is the Founding Editor of AAP FactCheck, the Creator of #WISPAA – Women in Sport Photo Action Awards and national touring Exhibition and the author and producer of the Passage to Pusan book, documentary and exhibition.
In 2019 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) Queen’s Honour for services to the media and sport and named an Australian Financial Review Top 100 Woman of Influence for services to the arts, culture and sport.
In 2020 she won a NSW Volunteer of the Year Award plus the NSW Government Community Service Award for her women-in-sport advocacy work.
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