MCFADDEN HAS FAITH IN STINGERS WORLD CUP BID
Water Polo, August 17: Defending champions Australia, fresh from its 10-8 win over the USA in a 2000 Olympic Games re-match in Sydney last week has emerged as the team to beat in the FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup, starting in Christchurch today.
The Aussie Stingers will be joined by National teams from Brazil, Canada, China, Greece, New Zealand, Russia and USA for the six-day tournament culminating in Sunday's finals day.
While the Aussie girls are very much the form team, the high-flying USA team has an incredible roll of honour, which includes three Olympic medals, three FINA World Championships crowns and five FINA World League titles.
But it has been a long time between World Cup presentations, having last won the crown in 1979.
The powerful teams of Russia, Greece and China also have good prospects to medal in the competition while Canada, Brazil and New Zealand will surely try making their mark on the international water polo scene.
Aussie Stingers women's water polo coach Greg McFadden fancies his team's chances of retaining its FINA World Cup crown.
McFadden, who guided the team to the title in Tianjin, China four years ago, told Australian Water Polo he had the right team to win the Cup.
"We played so well last week (in the 10th Anniversary Tournament in Sydney) that we can repeat here in Christchurch," he said.
The team is well balanced but first must get past New Zealand, world champion the USA and European champion Russia before the second round.
The Stingers beat the USA twice last week - a rare feat in such a short period - with youngsters forcing their way into the side.
Top of the list was 18-year-old Queenslander Ashleigh Southern, and New South Wales goalkeeper Lea Barta.
Both performed incredibly in Sydney and should boost their chances for next year's FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China and then the following year's London Olympic Games.
The USA and Australia have qualified for Shanghai by finishing one and two at last month's FINA World League Super Finals in the USA. A further four teams will qualify through the Christchurch event.
Australian team: Goalkeepers: Victoria Brown (VIS); Lea Barta (NSWIS). Field players: Bronwen Knox, Jane Moran, Mel Rippon, Sophie Smith, Ashleigh Southern (QAS); Holly Lincoln-Smith, Nicola Zagame (NSWIS: Rowena Webster (VIS); Zoe Arancini, Gemma Beadsworth, Glencora Ralph (WAIS).
The draw is as follows:
Group A: Brazil, Greece, China, Canada;
Group B: New Zealand, USA, Russia, Australia
Day 1 (August 17): USA-RUS, GRE-CHN, NZL-AUS, BRA-CAN
Day 2 (August 18): BRA-CHN, USA-AUS, GRE-CAN, NZL-RUS
Day 3 (August 19): GRE-BRA, RUS-USA, CHN-CAN, USA-NZL
Day 4 (August 20): 4A-4B (places 7/8), 3A-2B, 2A-3B
Day 5 (August 21): 1 game for places 5/6, 2 games of semi-finals
Day 6 (August 22): Games for places 3/4 and 1/2
The World Cup returns to Christchurch for the second time after first hosting the prestigious tournament in 1988.
FINA/Australian Water Polo