FINA World Championships

It was a slow start for the South African aquatics team at the 18th Fina World Championships, which started on Friday in Gwangju, South Korea.

PHOTO: FINA

FINA World Championships: SA gunned down in Water Polo

SA’s Water Polo team were blown out of the water by an accomplished Spanish side in Korea on Monday.

FINA World Championships

It was a slow start for the South African aquatics team at the 18th Fina World Championships, which started on Friday in Gwangju, South Korea.

PHOTO: FINA

 The SA men’s water polo team began their 18th FINA World Championships campaign with a match against Spain, who overpowered the Mzansi side by 23-3 on Monday, in Gwangju, South Korea.

Nicholas Rodda (two) and Jason Evezard (one) scored the only goals for the South Africans.

Spain’s goals came from Blai Mallarach (five), Alvaro Granados (four), Roger Tahull (four), Felipe Rocha (four), Alberto Munarriz (two), Sergi Cabanas (one), Marc Larumbe (one), Alberto Barroso (one) and Alejandro Bustos (one).

In the group’s other game New Zealand were handed a hammering at the hands of Hungary, who are among the favourites for the Water Polo gold medal.

The men’s national team will play against New Zealand next at the Nambu University Grounds on Wednesday.

In the other groups, Serbia played to a draw with neighbours Montenegro while Greece defeated hosts South Korea to move to the top of Group A. In Group B the USA and Croatia earned opening wins against Kazakhstan and Australia respectively. In Group D Italy saw off Brazil while Germany and Japan played to a 9-9 draw.

South Africa’s Women’s Water Polo were well beaten by the Netherlands in their opening match of the FINA World Championships.

Gauteng diver Julia Vincent opened the Championships with a fourth place qualification in the 1m Springboard Preliminary round, scoring 241.35 points but fell behind in Saturday’s final, finishing the event in an overall 12th position with 236.40 points.

Vincent, alongside teammate Micaela Bouter, will also participate in the 3m Springboard event on July 18.

Chad Ho and Danie Marais will take to the water in the Open Water 10km race on Tuesday, while Laura Strugnell and Emma Manners-Wood will compete in the Artistic Swimming’s Duet Free Preliminaries.

South Africa’s best hope of medals will come when the action moves into the pool in the second week of the FINA World Championships. Swimming South Africa have sent nine elite men and nine elite women to the Championships. Chad Le Clos is the only Olympic gold medallist in a group that is largely made up of younger swimmers.

Additional reporting from African New Agency – ANA