(Paris) Canadian polo players looked down on Tuesday after their quarter-final defeat to the Spanish. While several players are expected to retire after the Games, they are promising to hold their chins up and finish the Olympic tournament well.
Élyse Lemay-Lavoie, 29, has not yet made a “100%” decision about her future in the sport, but “there are several of us for whom this could be the last tournament,” she said during her visit to the mixed zone after her team’s loss.
On Tuesday, the Canadians were powerless against the Spanish in the pool at the Paris La Défense Arena, conceding defeat by a score of 18-8. From the start of the match, they faced persistent attacks, while struggling to create plays themselves offensively. After the first quarter, Spain led 6-2, a considerable gap in this sport.
“It’s very difficult in water polo when you lose by four goals right from the start. We weren’t able to put the ball in the goal either. […] “It wasn’t easy,” Lemay-Lavoie said.
“We knew that Spain is a very strong team. We had to start from the beginning. We had a hard time, I think that played on our minds. It worked for them, we had a hard time and we lost a little confidence.”
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
The Canadian polo players looked down after their defeat.
In recent weeks, colleague Alexandre Pratt has recounted the chaotic last year of the Canadian team: an Olympic qualification due to the withdrawal of the South Africans, and a preparation disrupted by a fire at their training centre at the Olympic Park in Montreal. Player Shae Laroche had then said she suffered from “imposter syndrome” because of the way the team had qualified.
The representatives of the maple leaf, who won one match out of four during the preliminaries, finally reached the quarter-finals and made their place among the top 8 ; they must always play two matches to determine the final ranking.
“I think we’ve proven that we belong here,” Lemay-Lavoie said.
“We’re a small sport in a big country. There aren’t enough people playing,” recalled the other Quebecer, Axelle Crevier. “If you take the number of people playing, compared to Spain and all the big countries in Europe that have a lot of people, we’re still able to come here and compete. I have a certain pride in that.”
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Axelle Crevier (right)
“What we would like most”
Head coach David Paradelo’s squad now aims to improve on their seventh-place finish at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
“I think we’re capable of playing against any team,” Lemay-Lavoie said. “We just have to be prepared and believe in it. Doing better than the last ranking in Tokyo would be what we’d like the most.”
“Traditionally, there is still a top 4 which is really more marked in women’s water polo, Crevier noted. […] Playing for the 5e position, it’s really more within reach. That would be our goal now.”
The idea is also to end this tournament on a good note for all those who will hang up their jersey after the Olympic event.
“It is certain that [quitter] athletes you’ve spent a decade or more with, it gets emotional, Paradelo suggested. But we’re here to perform in the last games. »
“A final tournament in a career is something,” added Élyse Lemay-Lavoie. “We want to leave proud of ourselves. It’s very emotional, but right now, we have to look at it in a way like: it could be our last.” game. We’re really going to give it our all in the water, not think about the result.”
“We have nothing left to lose.”