Tough Test for Stingers at World Championships

Australia’s women’s water polo head coach Greg McFadden believes a tough opening round draw at July’s FINA World Championships could benefit rather than hinder his team as they strive to become the number one team in the world at next year’s London Olympic Games.

The Stingers have drawn Uzbekistan and Commonwealth rivals Canada and New Zealand in Group B for the tournament in Shanghai that will run in conjunction with the swimming, open water swimming, diving and synchronised swimming world championships from July 16-31.

While not imperative to success, a group win would help the Australians with the winner of each group after the three game round robin format getting the luxury of an extra day off and an automatic seeding to the quarter finals.

In the corresponding men’s championships the Australian Sharks team has drawn heavyweights Serbia as well as Romania and China in their group.

In the women’s tournament the Canadians are expected to be the toughest early game for the Australians, marking themselves as the big improver in the world since failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games before bouncing back with a silver medal at the 2009 FINA World Championships.

McFadden says the group stage will be similar to two years ago when his team again played Canada in a crunch early tournament match.

“Canada will be the hardest game in the round and I believe the winner of this game will determine the winner of our group,” McFadden said.

“In 2009 they were unlucky not to win the World Championship when they lost to USA in the final. We drew 8-8 in the rounds with Canada but managed to finish first in the group through a better goal difference.

“Unfortunately we did not play to our potential in the quarter final against Greece and we bowed out of the medal race.

“Last year Canada did not live up to their 2009 performance and we made major improvements and moved from sixth in the world to second in the world.

“So the pressure is on both teams, us to continue our improvement and for Canada to recapture their 2009 performances.”

But while the pressure is on McFadden says tough early games can be a benefit later in the tournament.

“You are at a major championship and for you to win it you have to win the games that count,” McFadden said.

“In every major competition you are always put under pressure early in the tournament because these days there are many good teams throughout the world and if you do not play to your potential you can be beaten by any team in the top 10.

“Sometimes being in a tough draw becomes beneficial as you get to play pressure games regularly and if you win the first game you get on a bit of a roll. This is what we did in 2006 when we won the World Cup.”

Next month both the Stingers and the Sharks will take on New Zealand, China, Japan and Kazakhstan in the opening preliminary rounds of the Asia/Oceania group of the FINA World League – from May 9-13 in Auckland and May 16-20 in Sydney.

Water Polo Australia