#Rio2016 | WA Water Polo Trio Selected for Rio
Three Western Australians have been named in the Australian Sharks’ men’s water polo team for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
24 year-old Aaron Younger will head to a second Olympics, whilst Joel Swift (26) and George Ford (23) will make their Games debuts.
The 13 member squad is coached by Elvis Fatovic – who believes his team is capable of going all the way in Rio.
“In my opinion there are 10 countries who could win a medal and I believe we are one of them. It will come down to how teams react under pressure,” Fatovic said.
“We might have a number of news faces but I believe the 13 players we have assembled are the best in Australia.
“The difference for this team compared to previous teams is that we will have two centre forwards in the line up, which is new for us. We will need to be fast and adaptive to be competitive in every game,” he said.
Australia have been drawn in Group A in Rio and will face a clash with hosts Brazil in their opening fixture, with their pool also containing competition heavyweights Serbia. Greece, Japan and traditional powerhouse Hungary round out the group.
The men’s water polo will be hosted at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre in Barra da Tijuca.
The selection of three Western Australian athletes on the men’s water polo team has increased the state’s official total to 19 athletes. The Australian Sharks’ team also includes Western Australian Paul Oberman, himself an Olympian from the 1992 Barcelona Games, as team manager and assistant coach.
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