Water Polo Australia has confirmed their women’s roster of 13 for the upcoming Rio Olympic Games, via their Facebook page.
Their roster is as follows:
- Bronwen Knox
- Lea Yanitsas
- Gemma Beadsworth
- Hannah Buckling
- Holly Lincoln-Smith
- Keesja Gofers
- Rowie Webster
- Glencora McGhie
- Zoe Arancini
- Ashleigh Southern
- Isobel Bishop
- Nicola Zagame
- Kelsey Wakefield
Team member Isobel Bishop made history upon being named to the team, as she becomes the first South Australian to make an Olympic team in water polo. Team captain Bronwen Knox and Gemma Beadsworth will both enter their third Olympics, while Rowie Webster, Glencora McGhie, Nicola Zagame, Holly Lincoln-Smith and Ashleigh Southern all enter their second. The other six members of the team will all make their Olympic debut.
Each member learned they made the team by receiving calls from the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal winning team. That was the first time women’s water polo was competed in the Olympics, while the men’s began a full century earlier in 1900. Australia has won two medals since Sydney, earning bronze in both 2008 and 2012. Their worst Olympic finish was their 4th place finish in Athens, losing to the United States in the bronze medal game. The fact that more than half of the team has won an Olympic medal will be a definite strength as they look to get back on the top of the podium.
The Australian women have been less successful at the World Aquatics Championships, winning their only gold at the inaugural 1986 Championships. They have only won two medals in the last eight World Championship competitions: silver in 2007 and another silver in 2013. Last summer in Kazan they lost the bronze medal game to Italy in a penalty shootout.
The women’s water polo tournament will feature just eight teams: Brazil, Australia, China, Hungary, United States, Italy, Russia, and Spain. The men’s tournament features 12 teams. The tournament are scheduled to take place fro August 6th-20th at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center.