Australia women's national water polo team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australia national women's water polo team

Association: Australian Water Polo Incorperated
Coach: Greg McFadden
Captain:
Most Caps:
Top Scorer:
Ranking: 2nd
Olympic Games Appearances: 2
Olympic Medals: Image:Med 1.png:1
World Championship Appearances: 6
World Championship Medals: Image:Med 1.png:1; Image:Med 2.png:2; Image:Med 3.png:1

The Australian national women's water polo team represents Australia in women's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Australian Water Polo Incorperated. It is currently organised into the Asia/Oceania regional group. The national team is currently sponsored by Qantas airlines, Turbo Water polo, Mikasa, Stanwell Corporation Limited, and Gold Coast City Council.

Contents

[edit] History

The Australian women's water polo team played their first international in 1975. Since that time they have gone from strength to strength, often outperforming the men's team. Australia's women's team have often had to struggle with lack of funding, but despite that continued to perform credibly on the international stage. In the 1990s, the side went from strength to strength.

Following 6th place at the 1994 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy, they won the women's Water polo World Cup at home in Sydney, Australia in 1995. In 1996, the women won the silver medal in the Olympic Year Tournament behind the Netherlands, then finished with bronze in the following year's World Cup in Nancy, France. Australia continued their successful mid-90's run by winning the bronze medal at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, Australia, and remarkably over the rest of 1998 and 1999 were unbeatable, winning the four international tournaments they contested in the Netherlands, Italy, the United States and Hungary.

After an incredible 14 month winning streak, they only managed the silver at the 1999 world cup in Winnipeg, Canada.

Another success came in 1997 when it was announced that women's Water polo would be included in the Olympic Games for the first time at their home Olympics in Sydney.

Having had an excellent build up to the 2000 Summer Olympic Games at home in Sydney, the team went into the first Olympic tournament at home. They only lost won match to the powerful Dutch side in that historic campaign, on the way to winning the first ever women's Olympic Gold Medal in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

In an incredible Olympic final, the evenly matched US and Australian sides were tied 3-3 with 1.3 seconds remaining on the clock, when Yvette Higgins blasted in a nine-metre shot from a free throw. The ball crossed the goal-line .2s from the final hooter to give Australia a 4-3 win, and the gold medal.

The Australian team which won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics comprised of: Naomi Castle, Jo Fox, Bridgette Gusterson (C), Simone Hankin, Kate Hooper, Yvette Higgins, Bronwyn Mayer, Gail Miller, Melissa Mills, Debbie Watson, Liz Weekes, Danielle Woodhouse, and Taryn Woods.

The team was brought back down to earth with an Olympic hangover in 2001, only managing 5th in the World Championships of that year. This dip in form was short lived, however, as they won the inaugural Commonwealth Water Polo Championships title in Manchester, England in 2002, beating world No 3 Canada 6-5 in the final.

The Australian women then suffered another lean patch, finishing 7th at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain, 4th at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, and 6th at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Canada.

The team returned to successful ways by taking the bronze at the 2005 FINA Water Polo World League event in Kirishi, Russia, and at the 2007 Water polo world championship in Melbourne, Australia by taking the silver medal, after losing a hard fought final 5-6 to the US team.

[edit] Olympic Record

Year Games Position
2000 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Image:Med 1.png Gold Medal (won 6-3 v Russia, lost 4-5 v Netherlands, won 7-6 v USA, won 9-4 v Canada, won 7-6 v Russia, won 4-3 v USA (gold medal match))
2004 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece 4th (won 6-5 v Italy, lost 4-9 v Kazakhstan, tie 7-7 v Greece, lost 2-6 v Greece, lost 5-6 v USA (bronze medal match)).
2008 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China
2012 2012 Summer Olympics, London, United Kingdom
2016 2016 Summer Olympics, undetermined

[edit] Honours

[edit] Results

[edit] Olympic Games

[edit] Olympic Year Tournament

  • 1996 — 2nd place

[edit] World Championship

  • 1986 — 1st place
  • 1991 — 5th place
  • 1994 — 6th place
  • 1998 — 3rd place
  • 2001 — 5th place
  • 2003 — 7th place
  • 2005 — 6th place
  • 2007 — 2nd place

[edit] FINA World League

[edit] FINA World Cup

  • 1979 — 3rd place
  • 1980 — 4th place
  • 1981 — 3rd place
  • 1983 — 3rd place
  • 1984 — 1st place
  • 1988 — 5th place
  • 1989 — 5th place
  • 1991 — 2nd place
  • 1993 — 4th place
  • 1995 — 1st place
  • 1997 — 3rd place
  • 1999 — 2nd place
  • 2002 — 6th place
  • 2006 — 1st place

[edit] Holiday Cup

  • 1998 — 1st place
  • 1999 — 1st place
  • 2000 — 3rd place
  • 2001 — did not compete
  • 2002 — did not compete
  • 2003 — 4th place
  • 2004 — did not compete
  • 2006 — 3rd place
  • 2007 — 5th place

[edit] Squads

  • 1984 FINA World Cup — Image:Med_1.png Gold Medal
  • Kerry Cain, Lisa Copeland, Debbie Handley, Amanda Leeson, Jackie Northam, Katie McAdams, Wendy Meloncelli, Kerry Mills, Sandy Mills, Cathy Parkers, Janet Rayner, Julie Sheperd, and Debbie Watson.


  • Judy Gair, Debbie Handley, Amanda Leeson, Katie McAdams, Megan Meloncelli, Lynne Morrison, Sandy Mills, Jackie Northam, Cathy Parkers, Janet Rayner, Julie Sheperd, and Debbie Watson.


  • 1995 FINA World Cup — Image:Med_1.png Gold Medal






  • Victoria Brown, Nikita Cuffe, Erin Douglass, Taniele Gofers, Kate Gynther, Fiona Hammond, Alicia McCormack (goal), Kelly Miller, Elise Norwood, Patrice O'Neill, Melissa Rippon (goal), Rebecca Rippon, and Mia Santoromito.



  • 2007 World Championship Image:Med_2.png Silver Medal
  • Gemma Beadsworth, Nikita Cuffe, Hadley Gemma, Taniele Gofers, Kate Gynther, Amy Hetzel, Bronwen Knox, Emma Knox, Alicia McCormack, Melissa Rippon, Rebecca Rippon, and Mia Santoromito. Head Coach: Greg McFadden.


  • Lea Barta, Victoria Brown, Jemma Dessauvagie, Erin Douglas, Katie Finucane, Suzie Fraser, Kate Gynther, Gemma Hadley, Fiona Hammond, Jane Moran, Melissa Rippon, Mia Santoromito, and Larissa Webster. Head Coach: Greg McFadden.


  • Victoria Brown, Nikita Cuffe, Katie Finucane, Kate Gynther, Fiona Hammond, Bronwen Knox, Alicia McCormack, Sarah Mills, Jane Moran, Melissa Rippon, Rebecca Rippon, Jenna Santoromito, Mia Santoromito, and Sophie Smith. Head Coach: Greg McFadden.


[edit] Current Squad

Name State Stats Position Club
DoB Height Weight
Alicia McCormack New South Wales New South Wales June 7, 1983 168cm 77kg Goalkeeper Cronulla Sharks
Emma Knox Western Australia Western Australia March 2, 1978 173cm 72kg Goalkeeper Challenge Comets
Bronwen Knox Queensland Queensland August 20, 1985 182cm 86kg Centre Back KFC QLD Breakers
Mia Santoromito New South Wales New South Wales March 29, 1985 169cm 80kg Centre Back Cronulla
Gemma Beadsworth Western Australia Western Australia July 17, 1987 180cm 80kg Centre Back & Centre Forward Fremantle Marlins
Bec Rippon New South Wales New South Wales December 26, 1978 167cm 71kg Driver/Counter Attack Balmain Tigers
Kate Gynther Queensland Queensland July 5, 1982 174cm 73kg Driver Brisbane Barracudas
Patrice O'Neill New South Wales New South Wales April 11, 1987 174cm 66kg Driver Cronulla
Suzie Fraser Queensland Queensland August 27, 1983 175cm 63kg Driver KFC Queensland Breakers
Fiona Hammond New South Wales New South Wales May 10, 1983 172cm 66kg Utility Sydney University
Mel Rippon Queensland Queensland January 20, 1981 169cm 71kg Utility Brisbane Barracudas
Taniele Gofers New South Wales New South Wales July 7, 1980 183cm 80kg Centre Forward/Utility Sydney University Lions
Nikita Cuffe Queensland Queensland September 26, 1979 179cm 75kg Centre Forward Sydney University Lions
Erin Douglass New South Wales New South Wales November 4, 1981 180cm 74kg Centre Forward Cronulla

Correct as of April 20, 2007.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • HistoFINA Volume VIII (Edition 2004)
v • d • e
Australia's national teams
A1 GP · Association football (M, W) · Baseball · Basketball (M, W) · Commonwealth Games · Cricket (M, W) · Gridiron · Handball · Hockey (M, W) · Ice Hockey · Olympics · Netball · Rugby League (M, W) · Rugby Union (M, W) · Tennis (M, W) · Water Polo (M, W)