Western Australian Institute of Sport women’s water polo athletes were today named in the 2008 Australian Olympic Team, taking the total number of Western Australians named in the team thus far to 14.
30-year old Emma Knox and 20-year old Gemma Beadsworth were both selected in the 13-person squad for Beijing that will seek to maintain Australia’s position as one of the best sides in the world. The Australian women’s water polo team won the inaugural Olympic gold medal for the sport at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney before finishing in fourth place at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Goalkeeper Knox was a part of the team that narrowly missed out on a medal in Athens and has overcome a series of hip injuries in the past 12 months to claim a position on her second Olympic team. Knox returned to the national team for the Test series against China in late April and secured her place in the Beijing squad with her efforts at the recent Women’s FINA World League Finals in Spain, where Australia won the bronze medal.
Although being an Olympic debutant Beadsworth is considered one of the premier players in the world and was named Australia’s player of the tournament at the World League Finals last week. The centre back and centre forward has steadily risen from a talented junior, captaining Australia to a Junior World Championship in 2007, toone of the world’s most prolific goal scorers and a member of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team.
The pair are currently in camp with the rest of the Olympic squad on the Gold Coast, before heading to the United States for further preparations for Beijing.
Beadsworth could also be joined in Beijing by her brother Jamie, who just yesterday won a bronze medal at the Men’s FINA World League Finals in Italy as a member of Australian men’s water polo team. The men’s Olympic squad is expected to be announced next month and if he is named they will become the first brother/sister combination from WAto be selected for the same Olympics.
Full biographies for Knox and Beadsworth are available on the AOC’s official website – http://olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Default.aspx?link=343&tabid=343. For a full listing of all WA athletes selected thus far for the 2008 Australian Olympic Team head to www.olympics.com.au/wa.
