Four Queenslanders Named in Olympic Women's Water Polo Team

The Australian Olympic Committee today announced the 13-strong women’s water polo team for Tokyo 2020, including four Queensland athletes – Bronwen Knox, Abby Andrews, Elle Armit and Gabbi Palm.

Bronwen Knox creates Olympic history, becoming the first Australian woman to attend four Olympics in water polo, while Abby, Elle and Gabbi are all debutants and will play in their first Olympic Games.

CEO of Water Polo Queensland – Melanie Woosnam said of the selection of the four Queensland athletes, “on behalf of Water Polo Queensland and all of our members, we extend a huge congratulations to Bronwen, Abby, Elle and Gabbi for their selection in the Women’s Olympic Team to contest the 2021 Tokyo Games. Their selection is testament to the years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice and we wish them all the very best for a successful and enjoyable Olympic Games.”

“The Olympic Team has a great blend of experience and youth and there is no one more experienced than Bronwen Knox who will contest her fourth Olympic Games. This is a remarkable achievement for any athlete but particularly for Bronwen whose Olympic journey has spanned an amazing 13 year period and was extended another 12 months due to Covid and the postponement of the 2020 Games. It will be a wonderful result if Bronwen and the Team can achieve a podium finish in Tokyo to mark what has been a truly outstanding career.”

“We are confident all girls will represent their families, their State and Country with pride and we will all be supporting them, albeit it from afar. The 2021 Tokyo Games will certainly go down in history as the most unique Olympic Games ever held”, Mrs Woosnam said.

The ‘Aussie Stingers’ have matched it with the best in the world, winning bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju Korea, and taking Olympic bronze at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

The team will start their campaign at Tokyo’s Tatsumi Water Polo centre on 24 July 2021, with Australia drawn in Pool A with European Champions Spain, Netherlands, Canada and South Africa.

Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team Ian Chesterman congratulated the players on their selection.

“These are a tight knit, committed group of athletes who have shown incredible determination to make it through the trials of the pandemic to secure their spot in representing their country at this Olympic Games,” Mr Chesterman said.

“I congratulate them all and thank not only the athletes but all the coaching and support staff that have supported them on this incredible road to Tokyo.

“I also want to single out Bronwen - making a single Olympics is a phenomenal achievement, but to make a fourth Olympic Team is a rare and special milestone.”

“While we’re celebrating the announcement here today at the team’s training camp on the Sunshine Coast it’s also a great day for families, friends, supporters, teammates and coaches, right around the country, who have helped these 13 athletes achieve their Olympic dream.

Head coach Predrag Mihailovic said the team was united in their goals for Tokyo.

“I’m very proud of the team selected, it was a hard decision,” Mihailovic said. “We have a very good culture with individuals having their own goals and team goals. We are on the right track as a united group, we are getting comfortable in uncomfortable situations.”

“'There is a really great atmosphere in the team at the moment, in the last block of training there was plenty of hard training with the girls responding well. I am happy where we are, our preparations are the best they can be in these circumstances.”

Today’s selection brings the number of selected athletes in the Australian Olympic Team to 124 of an expected 450-480.

AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TEAM FOR TOKYO – WATER POLO WOMEN