Five WAIS Athletes in Action at Rome Water Polo

WAIS will be represented by five athletes in the water polo pool at the 13th FINA World Championships which began in Rome yesterday after squads for the Aussie Sharks and Stingers were finalised.

Glencora Ralph will be the sole WAIS athlete in the women’s line up (Stingers) following the retirement of Beijing hero Emma Knox and the decision by Gemma Beadsworth to take a year off from the sport. Meanwhile the men’s side (Sharks) will have a strong West Australian flavour after four athletes were named in the 13 man squad.

Goalkeepers James Stanton and Luke Quinlivan and field players Tim Cleland and Nick O’Halloran will all feature for the eighth ranked Sharks team. Beijing Olympian Jamie Beadsworth was not named in the side after also electing to take a year out of the sport.

The men’s side have been drawn in group C and will take on Kazahkstan, Spain and Serbia in their quest to qualify for the quarter finals. Their opening match against the Kazahks is on Monday evening Perth time.

On the women’s side of the draw the Australians will South Africa and New Zealand in their remaining two matches following their opening match draw with Canada overnight.

The Stingers, including Ralph, could only manage a six all draw with the unfancied Canadian side on Sunday, squandering a 5-2 third quarter lead. Their next match will be against South Africa on Tuesday afternoon Perth time.