The Canadian women’s water polo team concluded the World Championships on a high Friday with a 14-12 victory over Greece. A victory signed in shootout which allows him to finish seventh in the final standings in Japan.
The Greek representatives opened the scoring early in the game, then the Canadians scored four unanswered goals before the end of the first quarter. A lead that did not last long, when the score was 5-5 at the half.
“The game went like a see-saw, with ups and downs,” shared head coach David Paradelo. We started by being very disciplined on the game plan. At a certain point, we forced things on the attack and our opponents took advantage of it. It gave them wings in transition and it made it harder for us in defense. »
Quebec’s Axelle Crevier put Canada back in the lead in the third quarter, but the players from Greece held on. They trailed 10-7 with six minutes left in the game and tied the game 12 seconds from the end of regulation time.
“In the fourth quarter, we played a little too much on the clock, when we had the game in control. We missed chances that could have made our victory a reality,” Paradelo said.
Shae La Roche was the fourth Canadian to score in the shootout. She seized the opportunity to give the Maple Leaf the victory after Maria Myriokefalitaki sent the ball directly to the post.
Captain Emma Wright was Canada’s top scorer with three goals.
Axelle Crevier finished the game with two goals, in addition to scoring in the shootout. Serena Browne also moved the ropes twice, while Verica Bakoc, Hayley McKelvey and Kindred Paul all scored a goal apiece.
Quebecers Élyse Lemay-Lavoie and Daphné Guèvremont also represented Canada at this meeting.
The grand final also required a shootout between the Netherlands and Spain. The Dutch eventually became world champions with a 17-16 win. The Italians defeated the Australians to claim the bronze medal.
If Friday’s game went up and down for the Canadians, we can use the same expression to sum up their tournament, according to David Paradelo.
His proteges concluded the preliminary phase with a record of two wins and a loss in Group D, then easily defeated the South Africans 21-6 in the round of 16.
A 17-10 loss in the quarter-finals against the Dutch, eventual world champions, and another 16-4 at the hands of the Americans, champions 2022, left their mark on the Canadian camp. Friday’s win will have allowed the team to turn the page before leaving Japan.
“We started well and finished well too, but in the middle we faced strong teams, the Dutch and the Americans. I think they are the two best in the tournament, shared Paradelo. We pushed in order to focus on the rest. It feels good to finish with a victory and to show that we can perform, but we still have work to do. »
The next opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics will come at the Pan American Games in Santiago this fall.
“We’re going to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. We will have to be in better conditions than we were here, but luckily we still have time to prepare. »
Katerine Savard is twelfth in the world in the 50m butterfly. It is the best result of her career at this event, at a World Championships, having reached the semi-finals after posting the 15th fastest time in qualifying on Thursday. She had then covered the distance in 26.23 s.
In the semi-finals, the swimmer stopped the clock at 25.98 s, insufficient time to advance to the grand final, reserved for the eight best swimmers. However, it is the first time that she has gone below 26 seconds in seven years in this event.
The Quebecer placed 13th in the 50m butterfly last year. She could be back this weekend, when the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay will be presented on Saturday in Fukuoka, followed by the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday, at the conclusion of these worlds.
