Five WAIS athletes selected for 2022 Water Polo World Championships

Zoe Arancini, George Ford, John Hedges, Luke Pavillard and Tim Putt have been selected in the Australian Stingers and Sharks Teams for the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest from 18 June to 3 July. 

After leading the Aussie Stingers to gold at FINA World League Intercontinental Cup, Arancini will again captain the team as they look for a podium finish.

“For most of the girls it’s been two years with limited international competition, so we’re really looking forward to getting back to Europe and playing at the World Championships,” said Arancini.

“There’s plenty of fresh, young faces in our team – for some of them it will be their first major competition which is always exciting.

“The World Championships is going to be our biggest competition this year and we’re all looking forward to it.

“But it’s also going to be different to most other World Championships, with the fact that the groups will be held in different cities. It’s all a new learning experience and it should be very exciting.

WAIS athletes make up nearly a third of the Aussie Sharks Team, headlined by Olympians George Ford and Tim Putt, with rising stars John Hedges and Luke Pavillard making their World Championships debut.

Nicholas Elphick has been named as a travelling reserve for the Sharks. With six West Australian athletes bound for Budapest.