Water Polo - Achievements
2007
- World League Super Finals - Silver Medal
- World Championships - Silver Medal (Seniors)
- Narrowly defeated by USA in the gold medal match. Australia showed a strong perfomance to defeat Russia, Italy and Canada on the way to the USA showdown
- World Championships - Gold Medal (Juniors)
2006
- World Cup - Gold Medallists
- Defeated Italy in the final 10-7
- Commonwealth Championships, Perth - Gold Medal
- World League, Italy - 4th
2005
- FINA World Championships, Montreal Canada - 6th place
- World League Finals, Russia - Bronze medal
- AUS v NZL Test Series - Australia won series 5-1
Athens 2004 – Olympic Games
- Australia lost the women's bronze-medal encounter against the United States of America 6-5 at the OAKA Main Pool after coming back from 4-0 down to draw level at 5-all early in the final quarter.
- Australia's first scalp at the Games, Italy, won the gold medal with a 10-9, extra-time victory over host Greece.
The team has achieved some notable international results including:
In 2002, the team won first place in the inaugural Commonwealth Championships in Manchester, was runner-up to the Russian Federation in an international tournament, placed third in the US Women's Cup, followed by fourth in the Italian Cup and fifth at the annual Thetis Cup.
The AIS squad also had a successful common training camp with the US national team in September 2002, held at the AIS in Canberra. An official training game was held in honour of the AIS's twenty-first birthday, with the final score an 8-all draw.
In 2003, the team won the Thetis Cup in Greece, beating the host nation 4-3 in the final, finishing their European tour undefeated.
Some of the year-by-year highlights include:
1999 - 2000
The golden year for Australian water polo with Australia re-affirming its status as the number one water polo nation in the world. The Women finished second at the World Cup (being beaten by the Netherlands 7 goals to 6 in the finals) and the junior women won the World Junior championships (beating Canada 8 goals to 3 in the finals). This was the first time that any Australian Junior water polo team had qualified for the championship final at these events. The Australian Women's team then achieved their dream - Gold at the inaugural Olympic Games for Women. The men were unable to match this feat, finishing eight at the Olympic Games, the same ranking as that achieved at the World Cup in 1999.
1998 - 1999
The women continued their winning ways, winning 4 International tournaments. They went on to add to their medal collection, winning bronze at the World Championships.
1996 - 1998
The Women won the bronze medal in the World Cup. But the highlight in the Women's year was not a match result but the news that women's water polo would be included in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
1995-96
This season brought Australia as a nation to dominance in world water polo. The most outstanding result was produced by the AIS/Australian Women's team when they defeated five time champions Holland to win the IX Women's World Cup.
1994-95
The Australian Junior women's team produced the highlight of the season when they won the Silver medal at the inaugural World Junior Women's Championships in Ste Foy, Canada. AIS scholarship holders dominated the selections of all national teams.
1993-94
The AIS program's focus turned two-fold. Firstly that of preparing the senior teams for the World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy in late 1994. Secondly the development of the Australian Junior teams for the World Junior Championships in 1995.
1992-93
The women's team came fifth at the FINA World Cup in Sicily in July 1993 and have been training in a decentralised program since then under coach David Neesham.
Angie Bainbridge