Spain starts the European Championship with the Olympic duties already done
MADRID, Jan. 11 (SportsFinding) –
The Spanish women's water polo team will begin this Sunday (14.30 hours) in the 34th edition of the European Championship, to be played in Budapest (Hungary), with a match against France and within Group B, where the Netherlands team appears As the main favorite.
Thus, Miki Oca's disciples face a revalidation in the Duna Arena pool. His silver medal at the last World Championship, held last summer in Gwangju (South Korea), put Spain again among the most powerful teams on the international scene.
As an added prize, and despite succumbing in the final against the United States (6-11), the Spanish got their ticket to compete in the next Olympic Games in Tokyo. Three World Cup finals in six years (2013, 2017 and 2019), at the rate of one gold and two silver, confirmed the good health of the project still headed by Oca.
The coach admitted, during an event at the Higher Sports Council (CSD), that it gives “some peace of mind” the fact of having the Olympic square tied. “He is a European and, in himself, is a great incentive to go for a medal,” Oca said to the assembled journalists.
On the way to Tokyo 2020, the Madrid coach has not yet decided his call. And just that should motivate the so-called 'water warriors', whose 12 participations in European Championships throw a medal winners with a silver won in 2008, a gold of 2014 and a recent bronze, achieved in the 2018 edition.
In this competition, the last European played to date in the absolute category, the Greece team removed Spain from the title in the semifinals (11-9). However, beating Hungary later (6-12) calmed any hardship and was worth the third position of the podium.
Now it is France who appears as the first obstacle on its route to new successes. Italy, Israel and Germany will be the next opponents, to close the group stage against the fearsome selection of the Netherlands, which is also the current defender of the continental title.
DATA SHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
FRANCE: Derenty (P), Gaal (P); Bachelier, Bouloukbachi, Clerc, Daule, Deschampt, Dhalluin, Guillet, Heurtaux, Mahieu, Michaud, Millot, Radosavljevic and Vernoux.
SPAIN: Ester (P), M.E. Sánchez (P); C. Espar, Bach, González, Crespí, A.Espar, Tarragó, Ortiz, Forca, Leitón, García and Peña.
– PAVILION: Budapest Sand Dune.
– HOUR: 14.30 / Teledeporte.