BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) alumni Ashleigh Johnson of Princeton University and Bronwen Knox of Hartwick College along with current University of Michigan standout Maddy Steere (Jr., Pascoe Vale, Australia/St. Catherine’s School) led the United States and Australia to Gold and Bronze Medal finishes in women’s competition at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, on Friday, July 26.
In the title game, Johnson made 14 saves in cage as the United States sank Spain by an 11-6 score for the nation’s third consecutive FINA World Championship title.
It marks Team USA’s sixth overall title as the United States previously captured the world title in 2003, 2007 and 2009 in addition to 2015 and 2017. Next summer in Tokyo the Americans will go for their third straight Olympic gold medal, having already qualified by winning the FINA World League Super Final earlier in the summer.
In addition to the holding the previous three world titles and two Olympic gold medals, the U.S. women have also won the past three FINA World Cups and 10 of the past 11 World League Super Final titles, including the past six in a row. The Americans are also defending champs in the Intercontinental Tournament as the Pan American Games, and they’ll go for a fifth Pan Am Games title right away as that event kicks off in Lima, Peru, on Friday, August 2.
The United States opened up a 3-1 lead in the first quarter before Spain rallied back to tie the game in the second quarter. However, Team USA led 5-3 at the half thanks in part to a 6-0 run that extended into the third quarter. The Americans led 9-3 going into the final frame on the way to a five-goal win.
Team USA now has a winning streak of 53 games for the most consecutive victories in the Olympic era of women’s water polo, which began in 2000.
In the Bronze Medal game, Knox scored twice and Steere aided Australia’s cause as the Aussies handled Hungary by a 10-9 score. The top three finish marks the fifth in the history of Australia’s competition at the FINA World Championship as the team previously won the inaugural title in 1986 and has since added two silvers and now two bronze medals to its list of achievements.
On the deck, longtime CWPA official Michael Goldenberg did not officiate a women’s game on July 26, but did pick up his ninth assignment at the FINA Championships on July 25.
In women’s competition, he called an 8-6 victory by China over Japan on July 14, a 14-12 win by Australia over China on July 16 and a 22-2 victory by Canada against Korea on July 18. In men’s play, he handled a 9-9 tie between Japan and Germany on July 15, a 13-11 win by Hungary against Spain on July 17, a 23-5 win on July 19 by Hungary versus South Africa, a 13-11 sudden death penalty shootout win by Australia against Montenegro on July 21 and a 10-8 men’s victory by Croatia over Germany on July 23 before calling a 9-8 win by Australia versus Greece on July 25.
