Water Polo | Women’s Gold Medal Match

The United States of America have won four of the past five World Aquatics Championships gold medals, are seven wins from eight matches in gold medal games, and as World Aquatics Water Polo Correspondent Russell McKinnon details in his ‘Medal Watch’ below, are again the team to beat heading into today’s final.

Match Preview:

United States of America is the undisputed queen of world women’s water polo. Losses during the past decade can probably be counted on one hand. Last year at the Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships it lost the critical quarterfinal against Italy 8-7 and went on to claim fifth position - one loss and only fifth.

Few countries get to experience a victory over the USA and they include the likes of Australia, Netherlands and Hungary, the latter Friday’s gold-medal final opponent. In fact, Hungary beat USA in the group stages of the 2020 Olympics and in the semifinals of the 2022 World League Super Final.

In Doha, USA has shown once again why it is the seven-time champion, how it has made eight finals and also won two bronze medals. USA beat Hungary for fifth last year and Hungary in the final in Budapest in 2022. In the gold-medal final anything can happen. Hungary has made the podium five times and won the event in 1994 and 2005. It lost the 2001 and 2022 finals.

Route to the Finals:

USA won Group A with victories over world champion Netherlands on day one, Kazakhstan and Brazil. Hungary won Group C with victories over Commonwealth nations Australia, New Zealand Singapore. As group winners, they missed the second round and had three days off, which sometimes can unseat teams in the quarterfinals, like the men in Doha where three group winners faltered at this stage.

In the quarterfinals, USA withstood a late surge from Australia to win 10-9 and Hungary had the harder battle, winning in penalty shootout 13-12. Come the semifinals and both teams went through with two-goal victories - USA 11-9 over Spain and Hungary against Greece 13-11. USA beat Spain in each of the 2017 and 2019 finals.

The USA plays its normal hard-hitting water polo. Hungary has been rejuvenated with a new culture and new coaching staff and the renewed vitality has proved wonders.

Players to Watch:

United States of America - Jenna Flynn, Maggie Steffens (captain), Maddi Musselman & Ashleigh Johnson (goalkeeper).

Hungary - Captain Rita Keszthelyi, Krisztina Garda, Greta Gurisatti & Dorottya Szilagyi.

All-Time Records:

United States of America – 7 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze  [Last Title: 2022]

Hungary – 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze  [Last Title:  2005]

Previous Gold Medal Matches:

• 2023:  Netherlands 12 d Spain 12  [5-4 pen]
• 2022:  United States of America 9 d Hungary 7
• 2019:  United States of America 11 d Spain 6
• 2017:  United States of America 13 d Spain
• 2015:  United States of America 5 d Netherlands 4

Water Polo | Women’s Bronze Medal Match

As World Aquatics Water Polo Correspondent Russell McKinnon details in his ‘Medal Watch’ below, Spain continue their recent run of progressing to the final four at the World Aquatics Championships, while Greece are making just the second appearance on the final day of competition following the 2009 and 2011 championships.

Match Preview:

Spain and Greece go head to head in Friday’s bronze-medal final - a rare feat indeed as these teams seldom face off on the world stage. They have probably seen each other more in European competition that World Aquatics event as Greece has been a non-starter in many events while Spain has been riding the crest of the wave in all competitions.

However, surprisingly enough, these two came from the same group in Doha and on day two Spain romped home 16-8 - a true indicator on how the match will progress on Friday. Greece won the world title in 2011, beating China in Shanghai. It is the only trip to the dais at this level. Spain is a four-time finalist, winning once, against Australia in Barcelona back in 2013. Its nemeses has been USA, losing the 2017 and 2019 finals. In Fukuoka last year Netherlands toppled Spain in that incredible penalty shootout match, won 17-16 after the match was tied at 11.

While Spain was losing to the Dutch, Greece finished eighth, bowing to Canada in their classification match. In Budapest 2022, Greece dispatched France for seventh. A pair of sixths a decade ago was Greece’s lot at this level.

Since Spain beat Australia in 2013, it has been to the dais three times and there were thoughts that it could make it again in Doha.

Enough of the history. The recent history has more relevance with Spain thumping Greece 16-8 in their group encounter on day two. In Greece’s defence, it has improved immensely since last week and should provide stiffer opposition with a medal at stake.

Route to the Finals:

Spain won Group B with three victories — over Greece, China and France. This means Greece lost to Spain and beat China and France. While Spain was enjoying a day off, Greece played the second round and sent off Kazakhstan 24-5.

In the quarterfinals, Spain put paid to Canada 12-9 and Greece had the better of Italy 14-11. Semifinal time was obviously not so good for the pair with Spain bowing to USA 11-9 and Greece losing by the same margin to Hungary 13-11.

Players to Watch:

• Spain - Paula Crespi, Elena Ruiz, Judith Forca & Anni Espar.
• Greece - Eirini Ninou (21 goals), Eleftheria Plevritou & Eleni Xenaki.

All-Time Records:

• Spain – 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 0 Bronze  [Last Title: 2013]
• Greece – 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze  [Last Title: 2011]

Previous Bronze Medal Matches:

• 2023:  Italy 16 d Australia 14
• 2022:  Netherlands 7 d Italy 5
• 2019:  Australia 10 d Hungary 9
• 2017:  Russia 11 d Canada 9
• 2015:  Italy 7 d Australia 7 [5-3 pen]

Swimming | Women’s 100m Freestyle

Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands sprinted to an impressive 52.53 to move up to tenth all-time in this event and will enter tonight’s final as the fastest qualifier. The Dutch sprinter who anchored the nation’s impressive gold medal winning 4 x 100m Freestyle relay on night one of racing will be aiming to become the Netherlands’ first 100m freestyle world champion since Inge de Bruijn at Fukuoka 2001. The Netherlands has had a rich history in this event with a total of nine medals – however has not won higher than bronze since 2007.

World champion over four laps, Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, China, is seeded second and will be aiming to go one better than her Fukuoka silver medal. Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin is looking for her first individual medal as third seed in what will be her first World Aquatics Championships final in the 100m Freestyle. She progressed to the final ahead of Australia’s Shayna Jack and United States’s Kate Douglass, who have both shown to have a lot of speed this week in Doha.

Top Qualified:

• 52.53 – Marrit Steenbergen (NED)
• 52.92 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG)
• 53.12 – Anna Hopkin (GBR)

Best Entry Times:

• 52.02 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG)
• 52.24 – Sarah Sjoestroem (SWE)  [withdrawn]
• 52.28 – Shayna Jack (AUS)

Fukuoka 2023: 

• 52.16 – Gold: Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS)
• 52.49 – Silver: Siobhan Haughey (HKG)
• 52.71 – Bronze: Marrit Steenbergen (NED)

Records:

• 51.71 – World: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• 51.71 – Championship: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017

Swimming | Women’s 200m Breaststroke

Tes Schouten of the Netherlands broke the national record in last night’s semi final and the Fukuoka bronze medallist will be the swimmer to beat tonight as she aims to become the Netherlands’ first female breaststroke world champion across any distance.

Schouten’s biggest challenge should come from the United States of America’s Kate Douglass who clocked 2:19 last month and also won silver last year in Fukuoka. Canada’s Sydney Pickrem, who was the bronze medallist in 2019, advanced in third from last night’s semi finals, ahead of Alina Zmushka and Switzerland’s Lisa Mamie.

Top Qualified:

• 2:21.50 – Tes Schouten (NED)
• 2:23.17 – Kate Douglass (USA)
• 2:23.77 – Sydney Pickrem (CAN)

Best Entry Times: 

• 2:21.22 – Kate Douglass (USA)
• 2:21.52 – Tes Schouten (NED)
• 2:22.86 – Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU)

Fukuoka 2023: 

• 2:20.80 – Gold: Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA)
• 2:21.23 – Silver: Kate Douglass (USA)
• 2:21.63 – Bronze: Tes Schouten (NED)

Records:

• 2:17.55 – World: Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• 2:19.11 – Championship: Rikke Moller Pedersen (DEN), 2013

Swimming | Men’s 200m Backstroke

A first-time backstroke world champion will be crowned this evening with a number of contenders putting their best feet (or arms) forward during last night’s semi finals. The United States of America’s Jack Aikins will swim from lane four with the Pan American Games gold medallist aiming to make the most of his first World Aquatics Championships at age 21. Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, who narrowly qualified for the semi finals, will swim alongside Aikins in lane five.

Last year’s bronze medallist, Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov, advanced to the final in fifth and will be looking to win Switzerland’s first ever gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships. The Republic of Korea’s Lee Ju-ho will race his first career championship final tonight as the third seed following finishes of 13th at Fukuoka 2023, 12th at Budapest 2022, and 11th at Gwangju 2019. A medal for 29 year-old Lee would be Korea’s third swimming medal of these championships.

Top Qualified:

• 1:56.32 – Jack Aikins (USA)
• 1:56.38 – Hugo Gonzalez (ESP)
• 1:56.40 – Lee Ju-ho (KOR)

Best Entry Times: 

• 1:55.34 – Roman Mityukov (SUI)
• 1:55.56 – Bradley Woodward (AUS)  [did not qualify for final]
• 1:55.79 – Oleksandr Zheltiakov (UKR)  [did not qualify for semis]

Fukuoka 2023: 

• 1:54.14 – Gold: Hubert Kos (HUN)
• 1:54.83 – Silver: Ryan Murphy (USA)
• 1:55.34 – Bronze: Roman Mityukov (SUI)

Records:

• 1:51.92 – World: Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• 1:51.92 – Championship: Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009

 

Swimming | Men’s 200m Breaststroke

Jake Foster of the United States of America made a statement in last night’s semi finals posting the fastest time of the night. Forster is the older brother of seven-time world championships medallist Carson Foster. Joining Foster in tonight’s final will be his former Texas teammate Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands who was fifth in Fukuoka last year.

World junior record holder Dong Zhihao of the People’s Republic of China had the fastest last lap in the semi-finalists, and will be aiming for a first individual medal at a world championships following his fourth place finish in this event at Fukuoka 2023. Olympic bronze medallist Matti Mattsson of Finland will enter tonight’s final as fourth seed in his seventh World Championships with his first medal a bronze back at Barcelona 2013. Nic Fink, who also competed back in Barcelona 2013, swam through to the final in sixth.

Top Qualified:

• 2:08.78 – Jake Foster (USA)
• 2:09.16 – Dong Zhihao (CHN)
• 2:09.34 – Caper Corbeau (NED)

Best Entry Times:

• 2:07.99 – Caper Corbeau (NED)
• 2:08.04 – Dong Zhihao (CHN)
• 2:08.23 – Jake Foster (USA)

Fukuoka 2023:

• 2:05.48 – Gold: Qin Haiyang (CHN)
• 2:06.40 – Silver: Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS)
• 2:07.74 – Bronze: Matt Fallon (USA) 

Records:

• 2:05.48 – World: Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023
• 2:05.48 – Championship: Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023