UQ Stingers shoot for gold after numbing USA in shock semi-final defeat

UQ's Gabi Palm and Abby Andrews have helped make history, playing pivotal roles in defeating the 3-time Olympic champions USA in the women’s water polo semi-final. UQ alum Louise Evans (Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) '82) reports from Paris.

An outstanding, sudden-death save by UQ alum Gabi Palm destroyed the dream of 3-time American Olympic water polo champions and handed Australia’s women their first gold-medal contest in 24 years.

After scoring one of the biggest upsets at the Paris Olympics, the Australian players and supporters exploded on the Paris pool deck into tears and screams.

Australia now plays the equally undefeated Spanish team for the Olympic title in Paris, where they are guaranteed their first medal since winning bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.

The breathless Stingers captain Zoe Arancini said she was “over the moon”.

“We’re going to celebrate this one and get ready for gold. We had self belief. Our aim was to have fun and be energetic and ruthless.”

Australia was down 0-2 before the tide turned and the Stingers began dominating possession by playing entertaining, exciting, relentless water polo in front of a boisterous 15,000-strong crowd.

UQ Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours) student Abby Andrews, who had scored 9 goals heading into the semi-final, played with great pace and aggression.

The 23-year-old proved a lethal weapon for Australia, drilling 4 consecutive goals in the third quarter to level the score 6-6.

Abby Andrews shoots for goal during the penalty shootout against the United States. Image: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

It totally rattled the Americans, with the reigning champions showing nerves and fatigue as the pressure mounted.

“I knew after I scored the first one that I’d try again because I’d worked which way their goalie [the legendary Ashleigh Johnson] was going,” Andrews said.

US captain Maggie Steffens admitted it was a turning point and praised Andrews’s temerity.

"A pivotal moment was when we were up 5-2 and they immediately came back,” Steffens said.

“That would have been a great time to possess the ball and get one more goal, but they were super strong and resilient, and Abby Andrews was great there as well. They were able to put the ball away when we couldn't.”

With the scores locked 8-8 at full time and again at 13-13 after the 5-shots-each extra time, it was goalkeeper Palm (26) who made the save to stop the US assault in sudden death and record an historic 14-13 victory.

Showing extraordinary reflexes and reaction Palm (Bachelor of Behavioural Science '22) was a lion in the cage.

“I just hone the ball, clear my mind and concentrate on the shot,” said Palm, who made 14 saves during the edge-of-the-seat semi-final.

The Stingers path to the Paris Olympics final has been extraordinary. They won all their 4 pool matches – defeating China (7-5), the Netherlands (15-14) in a penalty shootout, Canada (10-7) and Hungary (14-12) in another penalty shootout.

The Stingers came up against Greece in their quarter-final, and won that match too (9-6), a victory that reduced the tough Australians to tears.

It was an emotional win because it broke a 12-year Olympic quarter final drought. The Stingers have won 3 Olympic medals since water polo was introduced for women at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They won gold in Sydney 2000, and bronze in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

They then suffered a 2-Games drought when they lost the quarter-finals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021. The victory over Greece broke the drought and triggered the tears.

In the quarter-final, Andrews scored a pivotal counter-attack second goal.

“We knew this time around that Greece wanted to play us,” Andrews said.

“So we wanted to put the nail in the coffin early and stamp our authority on that game. I think we did that.”

All that stands between Australia and a second Olympic gold medal is the Spanish team, who are the defending silver medallists.

Your Saturday night is sorted. History beckons from 11.35pm (AEST).