What to expect at the 2016 Women’s Intercontinental Water Polo Tournament

This week, some of the world’s best water polo players will assemble in Texas for the FINA Women’s Intercontinental Tournament. The six-day event runs Tuesday through Sunday, in Lewisville, which is about 40km (25 miles) north of Dallas.  For the six international teams, much is at stake. Not only will it be a pre-Olympic tune-up and a chance to refine rosters and strategy, but it will also serve as a qualifier for the FINA World League Super Final, June 7-12, in Shanghai, China.  

The first five days here will feature round-robin matches, during which each team will face the powerhouse squad from the United States. Last year, the U.S. became the first nation ever to hold all four major FINA titles at once: Olympic, World Championship, World Cup, and World League Super Final. It also won the 2015 Pan American Games, but has yet to qualify for Rio.

The main challenger to the U.S. is expected to be Australia. Last year, the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist beat the U.S. three times during a season in which the U.S. only lost six matches.

Other contenders include Brazil and China who have already qualified for the Rio Olympics (along with Australia), as well as Canada and Japan.

The tournament will conclude on Sunday, February 21, with a full day of play-offs to determine final placement.  The four top-ranked teams (plus China) will head to the FINA World League Super Final later this summer.

Meanwhile, here’s the inside scoop on what to expect this week:

Australia has already named a 16-woman roster for the Rio Olympics and plans to cut its final three players in June, so coaches will be taking notes and players will be trying to impress. Australia already beat China in three consecutive test matches earlier this month, and is eagerly awaiting Saturday’s meeting with the U.S., which it defeated three times in November. Player to watch: right-handed center and two-time Olympic bronze medalist Gemma Beadsworth. Notably absent: captain and two-time Olympian Bronwen Knox, who recently sustained a collarbone injury and just returned to the pool on February 5.

Brazil, the 2016 Olympic host, arrived in the U.S. in early February – well ahead of Carnival – for a scrimmage against the University of Southern California where its goalie, Victoria Chamorro, is a sophomore. The game to watch in Texas, however, will be Saturday’s match against Canada because Brazil’s coach, Pat Oaten, led Canada to two world championship medals (2005 bronze and 2009 silver). Oaten left in 2014 to help Brazil prepare for its Olympic debut in women’s water polo. Under Oaten, Brazil finished 10th at the 2015 world championship, tying its best performance from 2007. Player to watch: Izabella Chiappini, who scored 17 goals in six matches at the 2015 World Championships (and108 goals in her first two years at Arizona State University).

Canada is one of three teams in Texas that has yet to qualify for the Olympics. The others are the U.S. and Japan, and all three will meet in group play at the last-chance Olympic Qualification Tournament in the Netherlands, March 21-28. Therefore, expect an all-out effort from Canada whose players range in age from 19 (attacker Emma Wright) to 31 (its lone remaining Olympian Christine Robinson, who played at the 2004 Athens Games).

China has a highly-experienced coach in Ricardo Azevedo whose son, Tony, is a four-time US Olympian.   In December, China beat Japan twice to win the Asia Qualification Tournament and earn the right to compete at its third consecutive Olympics. In Rio, China hopes to improve upon its fifth-place finishes at the last two Olympics and the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

Japan is the real underdog of the tournament. After placing 15th at the 2015 FINA World Championships and losing both games to China at the Asia Olympic qualification tournament, any victories in Texas would be significant milestones as Japan builds toward 2020 when it hosts the Tokyo Games.  

United States of America is the clear favourite to win this week’s tournament, but it still must finish in the top three at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in March if it hopes to compete in Rio and earn its fifth medal five consecutive Olympics.  Canada and Japan will be vying for the same 2016 Olympic berths next month, so pay close attention on Thursday (when the U.S. faces Japan) and Friday (when it meets Canada).

2016 Women’s Intercontinental Water Polo schedule