Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2007-08-01

Australia is the new junior women’s water polo world champion, after winning the seventh edition of the competition (from July 23-29, 2007) in Porto (POR). In the final, the Australians beat the biggest surprise of the championships, China, by 8-6, getting its second world title after the victory in 1999. The Asian team, only 14th two years ago, proved that water polo is spectacularly improving in the most populated country on earth and that the organisation of the Olympic Games next year in Beijing is producing results. It was the first final ever for China in a FINA water polo tournament. For the bronze medal, the USA, world champions in 2005, couldn’t be on the podium, losing with Hungary by 10-8.

In the final AUS-CHN, the Asian squad started very well its quest for the gold, triumphing in the first quarter by 3-2, thanks to quick moves in the attack and a very solid goalkeeper behind (she was voted the best of the championships). In the beginning of the second period, Australia misses a penalty and China continues by doing 4-2, but the team of ‘Down Under’ reduces to 4-3 on an extraman situation. The third quarter started with two very nervous teams, missing several attacks and again counting with a superior performance from the Chinese goalie. Despite an aggressive Asian squad, Australia ties at 4-4, result that led to the last eight minutes. What came next surprised all those who had witnessed the game: showing an evident concentration, Australia converted into goals its first four attacks, reaching a comfortable advance of 8-4, after the first 3:35m of the period. The game was decided, and China just reduced to 8-6 thanks to a penalty and a successful attack in the last 20 seconds.

Australia had won, after a win in 1999, a second place in 1995, 1997 and 2001, and a bronze medal in 2005. In the seven editions of the championships, its worst result was a sixth place in 2003.

If China was the positive surprise of the competition, the USA, only absent from the podium in 1999, was the negative one. Starting in a normal way its game against Hungary (win by 5-3 at half time), the European team appeared more calm in the third quarter reducing the difference to 6-7 (benefiting from two goals on extraman). In the start of the last period, the Hungarians did the 7-7, the Americans answered with one more goal, but the European squad was decided to play some minutes more and scored for 8-8. In the first three minutes of the additional time, the ball hits the bar of the American cage, but the Hungarians don’t give up and, with 30 seconds to go they score the 9-8. The remaining three minutes were quite balanced, but with 14 seconds to go, a successful lob from the left ’sealed’ the result in 10-8. It was Hungary’s second medal in the history of the competition, after a bronze also in 1999.

The two remaining games of the last day, opposed New Zealand and Netherlands for places 7-8. The Dutch squad controlled the match and won by 11-9. The Netherlands were world champions in the first edition of the competition in 1995. For the fourth and fifth place, a thrilling game between Spain and Italy (6-6 at the end of the regular time) dictated the victory for Italy by the minimal difference (7-6).

The best scorers of the competition were, with 27 goals, the Japanese Konaka Misa and the Australian Gemma Beadsworth. Jun Yang from China was voted the best goalkeeper of the championships.

(Credit: FINA. Click here for further information.)