Van der Sloot Shines with Decisive Goal, Netherlands Secures Bronze in Women’s Water Polo Against US

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

PARIS, France — Sabrina van der Sloot scored with .7 seconds remaining, securing a dramatic 11-10 victory for the Netherlands over the United States in the bronze medal match for women’s water polo at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

A critical turnover by the U.S. with 9 seconds left handed possession to the Netherlands. In a bold tactical move, Dutch Coach Eva Doudesis instructed goalkeeper Laura Aarts to join the offensive play, creating a 7-on-6 scenario. Van der Sloot capitalized, slipping the ball past U.S. goalie Ashleigh Johnson into the right side of the net.

Van der Sloot was sensational, scoring six goals on seven attempts. Her scoring prowess ignited a dramatic comeback, as the Dutch team rallied from a 7-3 deficit at halftime and a 10-7 disadvantage halfway through the fourth quarter.

“I expected them to come at me because I already had five goals,” she said about her final shot. “When they didn’t, I saw my chance and took it. It was incredible to see it go in.”

Australia and Spain are set to compete for the gold medal at Paris La Defense Arena later on Saturday.

This victory marks the Netherlands’ second women’s water polo Olympic medal, having previously won gold in 2008. The team also claimed the European championship in January.

The U.S. team entered the Olympics aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal but faced setbacks. They lost a lead in the semifinals to Australia, ending in a 14-13 defeat after a penalty shootout.

Struggles continued in the bronze medal game, despite a power-play goal by Jenna Flynn that increased their lead to 10-7 with 4:26 remaining.

“We couldn’t handle the pressure effectively,” U.S. coach Adam Krikorian remarked. “Big moments seemed too overwhelming at times. In matches like these, the ability to maintain composure and execute game plans is crucial, and the Netherlands outperformed us in that aspect.”

Historically, the U.S. has medaled in every Olympic women’s water polo tournament since its inception in 2000.

“We emphasized learning from our mistakes and improving,” noted U.S. captain Maggie Steffens. “Today, we faltered. We allowed easy counter-attack goals and failed to make Holland work for their scores, even when we had a three-goal lead.”