Setterosa closes with a smile and climbs the podium

Italy-Australia 16-14, bronze for Setterosa

The Italian women’s national water polo team won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. After the disappointment in the semifinals due to the musira defeat against the Netherlands, the Setterosa team led on the sidelines by head coach Carlo Silipo in fact beat Australia 16-14 in a scintillating match, thus winning a place on the lowest step of the rainbow podium.

5-4, 5-6, 3-1 and 3-3 were the partials of the four periods of play in which, as the score suggests, the attacks of both teams overpowered the defenses. As many as six goals for Roberta Bianconi, five for Claudia Roberta Marletta, a hat trick for Sofia Giustini, and one goal on the scoreboard for Chiara Tabani and Dafne Bettini.

Also taking to the water were Giuditta Galardi, Silvia Avegno, Domitilla Picozzi, Valeria Palmieri, Agnese Cocchiere and Giulia Viacava, as well as goalkeeper Caterina Banchelli. The other extreme defender, Giuseppina Aurora Condorelli, did not play.

“This is an important medal – the comment, to the microphones of ‘Rai Sport’, of coach Silipo, however satisfied for a women’s rainbow podium that had been missing for eight years -. We give continuity to the European podium and we get even closer to Olympic qualification. We are one step short, but we are very close.”