Doha, Qatar, February 4, 2024: China started well but were eventually overwhelmed by Spain in the women’s water polo Group B opener at the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024 on Sunday.
The score was tight at 3-2 to Spain after the first quarter but Spain pulled away and took the second and third periods 5-2 and 4-1, respectively, to lead 12-5 going into the fourth and final period.
This is when Spain really turned on the style, scoring six more goals without reply to run out easy 18-5 winners against a Chinese team that were outclassed.
China’s No. 1, 27-year-old goalkeeper Zhang Jiaqi, said it was a tough match for China as Spain were one of the top teams in the world.
Regarding the 6-0 blowout in the fourth quarter, Zhang commented: “The most difficult part of the game was our attack. Their defence is very fast. We can shoot but sometimes we must go back, back, back.”
The other two teams in Group B are France and Greece, and Zhang said the Chinese team were extra determined to beat France because they lost to them 12-11 at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last year.
“The next match for the China team is the most important because in Japan we lost to France - so we just want to win against France.”
China can relax in terms of Paris 2024 qualification because they are already at the next Olympic Games, having won the Asian Games women’s water polo gold in Hangzhou, China last September/October. It was their fourth consecutive Asian Games gold since water polo was first contested at Guangzhou 2010.
“The Asian Games for us is easier because the Asian Games level is more down; in Europe it is a higher level, so we must try hard.
“Some of the older players who played in Hangzhou are injured, so we changed three or four players,” she added.
