Tokyo 2020 was the coming out, almost, of women’s water polo referees — Olympic level.

It was the first time that two women controlled the same match — women’s —and it happened three times in Tokyo.

It came in a year where four women were on the referee roster, officiating in women’s matches — Marie-Claude Deslieres (CAN), Nicola Johnson (AUS), Asumi Tsuzaki (JPN) and Ursula Wengenroth (SUI).

Deslieres and Johnson have previously officiated multiple gold-medal matches. At London 2012, Deslieres broke the glass ceiling when she controlled the gold-medal final with Greece’s Georgios Stavridis between United States of America and Spain.

What made history in Tokyo was two women on the same match in which a woman was head coach of the country for the first time in Olympic history. That match was South Africa versus Spain and while Tsuzaki and Wengenroth held the whistles, Delaine Mentoor (RSA) was creating history of her own.

Two more matches gained double-female recognition in Tokyo. 

Elisabeth Janseen van de Laak (NED) was the first woman to referee the Olympic Games — Sydney 2000.

Ironically, she never refereed a women’s match, but instead several men’s matches, as the inaugural women’s competition, which included Netherlands, was a tight, six-team affair. Her two matches were Spain-Slovakia (7-6) and Russia-Slovakia (21-5).

Pictured (from left): Tokyo 2020 referees Ursula Wengenroth, Nicola Johnson, Sebastien Dervieux (FRA), Asumi Tsuzaki and Marie-Claude Deslieres.

In 2004, two women made the roster — Yesenia Marrero (PUR) and Elizabeth Burman (NZL).

In 2008, there were no women invited.

In 2012, Deslieres was joined by Russia’s Svetlana Dreval.

In 2016, Deslieres blew alongside Diana Dutilh-Dumas (NED).

This means that Deslieres, who played in the 2000 Games and had her daughter Axelle Crevier contest the Tokyo Games for Canada, has the honour of refereeing at three consecutive Olympics.

“Being part of the first ever group of women participating at the Olympic Games was such a chance and a privilege for me. Officiating in three of them was also a very big, but rare, opportunity. They all have a special place in my life. I strongly believe our sport needs more women involved in all spheres. I hope the future will see more female officials in our wonderful sport,” Deslieres said. 

Johnson is typical of someone who has worked hard to gain the all-important call-up to the Olympics in what is mainly a male-dominated domain.

“Being in Tokyo and making history by being Australia’s first female referee to be appointed to an Olympic Games and then to join three other female referees to make the highest representations of female referees at an Olympics was very rewarding for me,” Johnson said. 

“I believe that it is great to have females refereeing female games, especially if they were players themselves, as I believe they really understand the game.  I feel honoured to be in this position as a role model for other female referees around the world, as it shows them that if they dream big, and work hard, they can achieve what they set out to. 

“I look forward to officiating at future World Championships and Olympics and watch carefully which other countries are promoting and supporting their female referees,” Johnson said.

FINA Technical Water Polo Committee Honorary Secretary Wim Keman said that since 2017 when there were just nine per cent of females on the FINA referees’ list, today it has edged up to 11 per cent and needs to increase dramatically. “More countries need to promote their female referees,” he said.

At the highest levels, women have gained the following gold-medal matches:

  • Cristina Taccini (ITA) — 2009 FINA World Junior Women’s Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
  • Cristina Taccini (ITA) and Amber Drury (USA) — 2011 FINA World Junior Women’s Championships in Trieste, Italy.
  • Amber Drury (USA) — FINA Youth Girls’ World Championship in Perth, Australia.
  • Svetlana Dreval (RUS) — 2013 FINA World Junior Women’s Championships in Volos, Greece.
  • Marcela Mauss (GER) — 2014 FINA Youth Girls’ World Championships in Madrid, Spain.
  • Marie-Claude Deslieres (CAN) — 2014 FINA World League Super Final in Kunshan, China.
  • Martina Kunikova (SVK) — 2015 FINA World Junior Women’s Championships in Volos, Greece.
  • Nicola Johnson (AUS) — 2016 FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai, China.
  • Nicola Johnson (AUS) and Gabriella Varkonyi (HUN) — 2016 FINA Youth Girls’ World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Svetlana Dreval (RUS) — 2017 FINA World League Super Final in Shanghai, China.
  • Diana Dutilh-Dumas (NED) — 2017 FINA Women’s World Championships at Budapest, Hungary.
  • Martina Kunikova (SVK) — 2018 FINA Youth Girls’ World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
  • Ursula Wengenroth (SUI), Svetlana Dreval (RUS) — 2018 FINA World League Super Final in Kunshan, China.
  • Svetlana Dreval (RUS) — 2020 Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in Trieste, Italy (2021)