There is much more parity among women’s water polo teams competing in Paris this summer, but Spain proved to be the class of the field in every game it played.
Spain’s perfect run through Paris ended with an 11-9 victory over Australia on Saturday in the tournament finals for the country’s first Olympic women’s water polo gold medal.
Four members of Spain's team this summer are playing in their fourth Olympics and had two Olympic silver medals to their names. Even with that success, every player on the roster — the veterans and those making their debuts — came to Paris this summer looking for history. And not only did they win gold, they rolled the entire tournament. Spain was a perfect 7-0 in Paris, with a goal differential of +28. They scored 99 goals (14.1 per game) while allowing 71 (10.1 per game).
The only time Spain trailed on Saturday was after Australia scored the first goal in the second minute. The two teams were tied 2-2 at the end of the first, and Spain responded with three unanswered goals going into the third quarter. The Spanish went on to outscore the Aussies, 4-3, in the third and were up 7-5 going into the final frame.
Australia’s Sienna Hearn scored with 5:45 left to pull her team within one. Spain got it right back on the next possession with a power play goal by Bea Ortiz, her fourth of the game.
Maica Garcia scored with 1:49 remaining in the contest to put Spain up 11-7 — the largest lead of the contest. The goal triggered a 4-1 stretch over the next three minutes.
"It was a very tough match, we were even all the time. It wasn't easy at any moment, but we were us. We took out everything that we had inside, and we could take it," said Spain's Elenauiz Barril.
Spain won on Saturday with defense. Australia was the fourth opponent the Spanish have held to single-digit goals. Goalie Martina Terre had 15 saves on 24 shots that came her way. The Australians were just 5-for-16 on power play shots.
"I am so happy. This is every child's dream. It's my dream come true," Terre said of the gold medal. "It's so easy to play in this team, so easy to dream with this team. I have got a lot of good teammates, a lot of good players... Today we won, so it's our moment to shine and our moment to take it all in."
Alice Williams led Australia with five goals. Hearn added two on two shots. Ortiz led Spain in goals with four. Garcia added three more and Anna Espar had two.
Australia will take home the silver medal, its fourth Olympic medal and first since 2012. Coach Bec Rippon became the first female coach ever to win a women's water polo Olympic medal.
“I’m extremely proud of that. It's something that's a bonus. When I took the role, that wasn't my goal," Rippon said. “I did this not because I'm female, I did it because I believe in the program, I believe in the players, and the added bonus is that I'm doing something no one else has done. If that's now something people can look up to, I'm really proud of that.
“I was given the privilege of leading the Australian team and I just wanted to lead them in a way they deserved to be led, and that I could inspire them and help them play an exciting brand of water polo... I have been inspired by many women around me who are coaching, and I have got a great network of women who are leading the way, so to join them and hopefully inspire the others, is a pretty big thing."