Bronze for Beadsworth and Ralph
The Australian women’s water polo team has won the bronze medal after scoring a nail-biting 12-11 extra time victory over Hungary – their third overtime game in a row.
WAIS athletes Gemma Beadsworth and Glencora Ralph played pivotal roles in the Stingers’ success, with the former netting twice in extra-time to guide the Australians home.
The Aussie Stingers had lost to the USA by two goals in extra time in their semi-final two days ago and only two days earlier had come from behind to beat China 20-18 in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals.
With today’s gold medal winning men’s K4 team of Tate Smith, David Smith, Murray Stewart and Jacob Clear in the stands, the Australians dominated for most of the game – leading by four just after halftime and three during the last quarter – but they couldn’t shake the Hungarians who were on average three years younger than their opponents.
The same two teams played for bronze in Beijing four years ago with Australia winning in a penalty shootout – fortunately this time, while there was no less drama, it didn’t get that far.
Australian head coach Greg McFadden thought his side was by far the superior team – except for a few crucial seconds late in the game, including when goalkeeper Alicia McCormack was dispossessed with one second remaining in normal time for the Hungarians to score a miracle goal.
“We were the best team all game but the last quarter we did a few silly things and they got back in and then we thought we had it won and there was just a brain snap,” McFadden said.
“These things happen. But it was great, the girls showed the composure to come back in that second extra time and nail the game.
“We have spent four years together chasing the dream. We’ve had a really tough Olympics but we’ve played really well and we’ve showed lots of character and I’m extremely proud of the girls but I’m also so happy for the girls because they have worked so hard and they deserve the medal.
“And any medal is a good medal, it doesn’t matter what colour it is – today it is a gold medal.”
Australian centre back Sophie Smith said while the team came wanting gold they were so happy to win a medal after all the hard work during the last four years and in particular over the past two weeks.
“It’s just relief – we like to do things the hard way,” an overjoyed Smith laughed. “We played a good team game. It has been four years of blood sweat and tears and finally we get what we want – a medal.”
The play in the first few minutes of the match was all Hungary but neither team could score until Nicola Zagame took things into her own hands to get Australia on the board with a rocket from nine metres out. Within 30 seconds Hungary had bounced straight back and a further half minute later Gemma Beadsworth scored in extra man to put Australia up 2-1, the score at quarter time.
Ash Southern extended the lead 30 seconds into the second term after a shot by Rowie Webster bounced back from the Hungarian goalkeeper into her hands. It took Hungary just 20 seconds to score at the other end after Webster was excluded but the next goal came as Southern converted a penalty earnt by Mel Rippon and her step-sister Kate Gynther and it was 4-2 to Australia.
Holly Lincoln-Smith scored from the posts in extra man, only to see Hungary score via centre forward Barbara Bujka, before a well worked extra man play between Gynther, Rippon and Beadsworth saw Beadsworth score. Then Webster got her first of the game before Hungary got one back to make it 7-4 at halftime.
Webster got her second less than two minutes into the third period and Australia had a four goal buffer. But the big lead was fleeting as Hungary converted a penalty ten seconds later and a counter attack strike exactly a minute after that. And when they put away an extra man chance 70 seconds later it was suddenly a one goal game.
Lincoln-Smith scored with a brilliant individual backhand from centre forward to make it 9-7 but Hungary once again got straight back into it with a penalty. Neither side could score for the next few minutes but with eight seconds to go in the period the Australians earned an exclusion on a fast break and Jane Moran scored the quick extra man goal to make it 10-8 with a quarter to play.
Gynther scored with a lob that was deflected in by a Hungarian defender to start the fourth but as was the case throughout, Hungary struck back almost immediately with a patient extra man goal.
Neither team could trouble the scorer for the next four and a half minutes before Hungary drilled one off the cross bar that then ricocheted from the back of Aussie goalkeeper Alicia McCormack’s head to make a it a one goal game. Southern then found the ire of the referee and was excluded with 44 seconds remaining prompting the Hungarian coach to call a timeout. But they couldn’t convert the extra man opportunity and when McCormack made the save with 11 seconds to go it appeared the bronze was Australia’s.
But drama has followed the Aussie Stingers at every turn in the finals series at this tournament and when McCormack was challenged by two Hungarians the ball was turned over and defender Dora Antal flicked it into the goals with less than a second on the clock to force Australia’s third extra time game in a row.
Beadsworth scored the first goal of extra time – her third of the game – at 1:19 and with three minutes to play the Stingers led 12-11. Then in a second overtime period that was laced with timeouts and brutal defence the Australians finally cemented the bronze with Beadsworth’s fourth goal of the game.
The match was the last at this level for a number of the Australian players including Gynther, Rippon and McCormack who have played in three, three and two Olympic Games respectively.
The Australian men’s team will play their fifth-eighth place bracket game against three-time defending Olympic champions Hungary today at 4.30pm Perth time.