Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor
On a day when the U.S. extended its dominance in women’s water polo by winning a second consecutive FINA World Championship, two possible challengers to the Americans’ superiority met in the bronze medal match.
Russia, coached by Alexander Gaidukov, and Canada, led by Haris Pavlidis, met on a bright Friday afternoon at the Alfréd Hajós Swimming Complex. As has been their pattern for much of the tournament, the Canadians fell behind the Russians and rallied to get within a goal early in the fourth period before finally succumbing by a score of 11-9.
For both teams, the results were better than expected and can be viewed as a reversal of recent fortunes. For Russia, capturing bronze was redemption following a disastrous showing as the host nation for the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships, where it finished eighth. Russia engineered two stunning upsets; first the defeated Holland, favored for a medal here at FINA worlds, 11-10 to advance to the quarterfinals. They beat Italy—a silver medalist at the Rio Olympics—9-8 to reach the semifinals, where they lost to the USA after taking early 2-0 and 4-2 leads.
Canada also had a strong run in this World Championship. After finishing 10th in 2015, it’s climb to a fourth-place finish in Budapest ended a decade-long slide from second in 2009—it’s highest finish ever. Along the way the Canadians upset host Hungary 6-4 in the crossover game, ending the hopes of thousands of Hungarians who dreamed of two finalists at Budapest.
After their matches, Swimming World spoke with Pavlidis as well as Andrey Belofastov, assistant coach for the Russian women’s team as well as a former water polo player who represented Russia in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Haris Pavlidis, Head Coach, Canadian Women’s Water Polo Team.
Describe your team’s performance in today’s match:
The start was really bad but the last two quarters we had better defense. We were very close two times to one goal from Russia but we missed so many opportunities. In the end we paid for our bad performance in extra man [situations].
Team Canada. Photo Courtesy: Canadian Water Polo
What’s your impression altogether with this world championship?
It was a very nice organization, it was excellent. The fans here they love water polo, they even come to the games of classification. It’s amazing organization, amazing games and unforgettable for me.
On knocking the Hungarian women out of the tournament:
It was our best game, obviously. Everything worked fine in our defense, even if we scored only six goals. We got past [them] to the quarterfinals.
I’m sorry about the Hungarians because I know they go for the gold medal but we played excellent and this is our reward for this game. We are in the top four teams after almost ten years. It’s a good start for us [as] we are a new team. I think we will have a chance again to play for a medal at the next World Cup.
Canada is not known for its support of aquatic sports. How have you been able to achieve this success?
I’m coming from Greece. It’s much worse there. For me to work in Canada with these facilities it’s like a dream. The INS there, we have everything… I am more than satisfied about the facilities.
How does being connected to the U.S. college system—including the NCAA—impact your program?
I will try to find some clubs in Europe for our players because I want them to have games in a different kind of water polo [environment] than America. In America they play a different kind of water polo now. I try to introduce to my players the European mentality.
I’m trying to combine the positive things—the development from two schools—to have a better result.
What do you make of the results of this tournament—the success that your team, Russia, Hungary have had—is it possible that you all are closing the gap on Team USA?
Now we are back; I mean we are back in the top teams. Since 2009 Canada was out of the Olympic Games and top eight of world clubs.
Russia is a team who has won a bronze medal last year in the Olympics. It’s not like us; we have the luck of experience [where] they are very experienced players.
This game will be very helpful for us in our future because… maybe we lost the medal but we gained experience.
Andrey Belofastov, Assistant Coach, Russian Women’s Water Polo Team.
What was the experience of the Russian women’s team at this World Championship?
This tournament was very important for us because the last championship in Kazan we took only eighth place. We did good preparation, we came here with 3 – 4 new young players, and we started to play a high game.
We played seven games and won five. We lose again to the United States, okay it was very good team, and we lose to Australia.
We are pleased with the result because we took the bronze medal. We are delirious with joy.
How will FINA’s proposed rule changes for the Olympics impact your preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Games?
Team Russia sporting FINA bronze hardware. Photo Courtesy:
I think it will be very difficult because with 11 players it is not water polo. 11 players is very small—it will be hard… I don’t know how the team will play but I can say it will only be one year, [just for] the Olympic Games 2020.
Now we start the preparation for the next year, European Championships in Barcelona after World Cup; we will play normal [13-player rosters] it’s important without changing the rules. Because five on five for me as a coach is another sport. It’s not water polo.
With 11 players you must give 4 – 5 exclusions, not three because with only three players on the bench, it will be very hard.
I think that it’s only one Olympic Game [this will happen in] because with 11 players you must change something. We will wait and see what FINA will do.
Talk about the game with Americans here at the World Cup.
America is a very good team. We know Adam Krikorian as a coach, they’re very strong. We did good preparation and we started the game very well. We scored 2 – 3 easy goals but after second period we lose 6 against 1 [goals scored]. That was key to victory by the [United] States.
Maybe we can change the tactics but when we start to play pressure in the start of the third period the score was 2-2 and 2-1. We lose 6-1 [in the second] the score was 14-9, we think we can do better.
USA was very strong that day. That was very hard.
Can you see where the rest of the world will catch up to the Americans at some point?
Today no but after 2 – 3 years we will have another 2 teams who can beat America. The United States is good, very, very interesting team. It’s a very young team.
Of those 2 – 3 teams that will challenge do you believe that Russia will be one of them?
We hope! We need to work hard. We have our program, the head coach he will know what to do. We will try because every time we said: “Yes we can play” … we just played one game in Shanghai in the Super Final, we lose in the last seconds against the United States [13-12].
But here it was not our day because they played really good and we need to eliminate our mistakes.