World Aquatics Championships – Women’s Water Polo
- Nambu University Aquatics Center; Gwangju, Korea
- July 14-26, 2019
- Tournament Central
- Full Schedule
- Results | Live Results
- TV: Olympic Channel
Lopsided results were the story of the day as women’s water polo action began at the World Championships on Saturday. All told, the victors outscored their opponents 178-38, including a 64-0 shellacking as Hungary bested hosts South Korea and a 33-0 Dutch win over South Africa.
Women’s action resumes on Tuesday, while the men’s water polo play starts on Monday.
High Scorers
| Top Scorers | ||
| 11 | Rebecca Parkes, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 10 | Dorottya Szilagyi, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 8 | Greta Gurisatti, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 8 | Natasa Rybanska | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 7 | Simone van de Kraats, Netherlands | vs. South Africa, 7/14 |
| 7 | Dora Csabai, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 6 | Maud Megens, Netherlands | vs. South Africa, 7/14 |
| 6 | Roserita Tarrago, Spain | vs. Greece, 7/14 |
| 5 | Stephanie Haralabidis, USA | vs. New Zealand, 7/14 |
| 5 | Rita Keszthelyi, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 4 | Dagmar Genee, Netherlands | vs. South Africa, 7/14 |
| 4 | Brigitta Horvath, Hungary | vs. Korea, 7/14 |
| 4 | Rowie Webster, Australia | vs. Italy, 7/14 |
Saturday Results
| July 14. | Matchup | Result |
| Group A | Netherlands vs. South Africa | Netherlands 33-0 |
| USA vs. New Zealand | USA 22-3 | |
| Group B | Russia vs. Canada | Russia 18-10 |
| Hungary vs. South Korea | Hungary 64-0 | |
| Group C | Kazakhstan vs. Cuba | Kazakhstan 9-6 |
| Spain vs. Greece | Spain 14-4 | |
| Group D | China vs. Japan | China 8-6 |
| Italy vs. Australia | Italy 10-9 |
Saturday Recaps
Group A
In Group A, the defending World Champions from the United States cruised to a 22-3 win over New Zealand, including a five-goal effort by Stephania Haralbidis. Ten different players scored for the Americans, with seven registering multi-goal efforts. Goalkeeper Amanda Longan saved five of the six shots she faced, while Ashleigh Johnson grabbed four of six New Zealand attempts.
European champion Netherlands shutout South Africa behind a seven-goal effort by Simone van der Kraats. The Dutch racked up seven goals in the opening quarter, 10 in the second, nine in the third and seven in the final stanza. Meanwhile, goalkeepers Joanne Koenders and Sarah Buis stopped all six shots they faced. The Dutch win marked the third biggest margin of victory at the World Championships.
Group B
Russia led off Group B action with an 18-10 win over Canada as 11 players scored, including a hat trick by Ekaterina Prokofyeva. The Russians made 18 of their 35 shots, while limiting Canada to 10 of 34. Russia built a 7-3 lead in the first half and wrapped up the victory, outscoring the Canadians 6-3 in the final stanza.
Hungary was the story of the day, however, crushing Korea in a world-record 64-0 score, marking the highest scoring match in FINA World Championship history. Hungary poured in 16 goals in the opening period, followed by 18, 16 and 14 over the final three. 11 players scored for the victors, including an eye-popping 11 goal effort by Rebecca Parks and a 10 score performance by Dorottya Szilagyi. Greta Gurisatti and Natasa Rybanska also chimed in with eight goals apiece. The Hungarians converted on 64 of 71 shot attempts.
Group C
Kazakhstan outscored Cuba 7-3 in the second half to steal away the first Group C win. The Kazaks scored the lone goal of the opening quarter, but Cuba put in three in the second to go up 3-2 at the half. From there, Kazakhstan logged four goals in the third quarter and three in the fourth. Zamira Myrzabeckova notched a hat trick to lead the Kazakhs, while Madonni Chave Pena put in two goals to pace Cuba. Cuba made six of its 27 shots, while Kazakhstan made good on 9 of 31, including four extra-player opportunities.
Spain jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening stanza against Greece and never looked back. Both teams put in two goals in the second, but the Spaniards capped the game, with another 6-1 margin in the second half. Rosa Tarrago Aymerich scored six goals for Spain, including four in the first period. Spain made good on four of its five extra-player chances, while Greece put in three of 10. Spanish goalkeeper Laura Ester saved seven of the 10 shots she faced.
Group D
The closest games of the day came in Group D where China rallied past Japan in the second half of an 8-6 decision, while Italy held off a late Australian rally for a 10-9 victory.
Japan led 3-2 at the half, but China put in six goals in the final 16 minutes to walk away with the W. Xinyan Wang and Xiao Chen each scored twice for China, while Yumi Arima turned a hat trick for Japan. Japan hit two extra-player shots, while China made one and also scored on a penalty.
Italy built a 6-2 advantage over the first 16 minutes, only to see Australia chip away down the stretch. Both teams scored three goals in the third quarter, while the Aussies pulled out a 4-1 run in the final stanza, coming up just short. Australia took 42 shots, hitting just nine, while Italy made good on 10 of 23 shots. Australia’s Rowie Webster was the top scorer of the game, with four goals, while Arianna Garibotti put in three goals for the Italians. Italy cashed in on 5 of 7 extra-player chances, while the Aussies made good on just 1 of 9.