Nail-Biting Finish: Women’s Water Polo Olympic Bronze Snatched with Last-Second Goal

The last-second shot ended the neck-and-neck game in a spectacular fashion.

PARIS, France — Sabrina van der Sloot scored with 0.7 seconds remaining, leading the Netherlands to a thrilling 11-10 victory over the United States for the bronze medal in women’s water polo at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

The Netherlands got a crucial opportunity following a U.S. turnover with 9 seconds left on the clock. Under the guidance of Coach Eva Doudesis, goalkeeper Laura Aarts joined the attack to create a 7-on-6 advantage. Van der Sloot then skillfully placed the ball past Ashleigh Johnson, securing the win.

With six goals on seven shots, Van der Sloot spearheaded the Dutch comeback. The team had been trailing 7-3 at halftime and 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter.

“I thought they were going to attack me because I had already scored five goals,” Van der Sloot said about her decisive shot. “When they didn’t, I took the shot, and it was amazing that it went in.”

Later on Saturday, Australia and Spain will face off for the gold medal at Paris La Defense Arena.

This victory marks the second women’s water polo medal for the Netherlands, following their gold win at the 2008 Olympics. They also secured the European Championship title in January.

The U.S. team had high hopes for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. However, they faltered after squandering a 5-2 halftime lead, ultimately losing 14-13 to Australia in a penalty shootout during the semifinals.

The American team once again struggled to score after Jenna Flynn’s power-play goal made it 10-7 with 4:26 remaining in the game.

“We didn’t handle the pressure well,” U.S. coach Adam Krikorian admitted. “In big moments, it’s crucial who executes towards the end, and they did a better job at that.”

The U.S. had been the sole country to medal in every Olympic women’s water polo tournament since its inception in 2000.

“We talked about learning from our mistakes,” said U.S. captain Maggie Steffens. “Today, we struggled with that. We gave up some easy counter-attack goals and didn’t force Holland to work for their shots when we were up by three.”