It's 'go time': Canadian women's water polo team embraces underdog role in quest for Olympic spot

In their final quest to qualify for a second-straight Olympics in Paris this summer, the Canadian women's water polo team is happy to fly under the radar.

"Some people believe that as Canadians we're not the most strong-willed or we're always apologizing or things like that," team captain Emma Wright said on a recent call.

"People underestimate us as a team because we're Canadian and we hope to use that to our advantage."

Only two Olympic berths are up for grabs at the world aquatic championships in Doha this month. Half of the 16 women's teams competing have already locked up their berths for Paris, so Canada needs to be one of the top two finishers of those yet to qualify to book their Olympic ticket.

"The biggest challenge is it's not a direct path at these world championships," national team head coach David Paradelo said. "There are a lot of variables and a lot of things that can happen through the games that we're playing and the results of other games. It's not a straight line."

Going by world rankings and recent results, it'll be a three-way battle for those two spots between Canada, reigning world championship bronze medallists Italy, and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists Hungary.

The Canadians are slotted in Group D along with the Italians. Canada opens against South Africa on Sunday, Great Britain Tuesday and Italy Thursday.

CBC Sports will live stream action from the World Aquatics Championships on CBC Gem, the CBC Sports app, and on CBCSports.ca. Click here for the full broadcast schedule from Doha.

The top team in each of the four groups advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the runner-up goes to a one-game playoff for a spot in the quarters.

While the world may underestimate the Canadian team, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to make them as prepared and competitive as possible. You could say their secret ingredient is togetherness.

Considering this is a team that turned over half its roster since the last Olympics in Tokyo, that's an impressive feat.

Gone from the team that finished seventh at Tokyo 2020 are Joëlle Békhazi, Kyra Christmas, Monika Eggens, Kelly McKee and Claire Wright, who all retired, while Gurpreet Sohi is currently in medical school.

With so many fresh faces joining the team in the last 18 months, the squad teamed up with mental performance coach Sommer Christie, who also works with the Canadian wheelchair rugby team, to help build cohesiveness within the group.

"It was difficult at the beginning with so many new people and just that range of experience on our team," Wright said.

"At this point, we're over that. We're more of a unit now. Each individual athlete knows what they need in the team environment and we have the team goal in mind."

The turnover has had positives, too. It's allowed newer and younger players to get experience at major tournaments like the world championships last summer in Fukuoka, Japan, as well as multi-sport events like the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October. Players like six-foot-two Serena Browne, 19, and University of Southern California grad Verica Bakoc have stepped up into bigger roles.

There's been more good news with the return of veteran attacker Shae La Roche from a knee injury. The Tokyo Olympian is a key member of the leadership group and had a knee injury that kept her out of Pan Ams.

The Canadian team has spent the better part of this past year centralized together, living and training in Montreal. For some athletes that's meant leaving their hometowns and families and taking a year off school or their professional water polo careers. It's a sacrifice they hope will lead them back to a second-straight trip to the Olympics.

"It's heavy sometimes. There's ups and downs. It's hard to be in one place for a long time, but it's important because it gives us the time we need to really come together as a team," Wright said. "If we were all spread out like in previous years, we wouldn't be as prepared.

"Now, it's just taking those final steps. Having these pre-tournament training camps have been really great and breathed some fresh air into the team atmosphere.

"When we leave Montreal, we know it's go time."

Well, 'go time' is here.

For the past two and half weeks, Canada has been in pre-tournament training camps against two of the best teams in the world: three-time Olympic and seven-time world champions, the United States, in Long Beach, Calif., and three-time Olympic medallists, Australia, in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

"The progression of the team has been great. These preparations give us something new to adjust to every time we play a different country, enabling us to balance our system against different approaches," Paradelo said. "The girls are working extremely hard with the same big objective in mind. We are well rounded up, we cleaned up a bunch of details and we are ready to put it all in place at this tournament."

Wright conceded that it's going to be difficult, but they're ready for the challenge.

"We have to beat one of the best teams in the world for that spot, but we have proven that we're right there with those other teams around the world," she said, noting that last summer they lost to Hungary by one point, played close exhibition matches against Italy and beat Greece (who recently qualified at the European championships). 

"Just remembering those moments and not doubting ourselves."

Canadian roster for the world aquatic championships 2024 Doha:

• Verica Bakoc — Toronto
• Serena Browne  — Pointe-Claire, Que.
• Floranne Carroll — Montreal
• Axelle Crevier — Montréal
• Jessica Gaudreault — Ottawa
• Daphné Guèvremont — Montreal
• Shae La Roche — Winnipeg
• Rae Lekness — Calgary
• Elyse Lemay-Lavoie — Calgary
• Blaire McDowell — Fernie, B.C.
• Maria Eleni Mimides — Glyfada, GRE, & Toronto
• Hayley McKelvey — North Delta, B.C.
• Kindred Paul  — Spruce Grove, Alta.
• Clara Vulpisi — Montreal
• Emma Wright — Whitby, Ont.
• Lucy Davis (alternate) — Port Moody, B.C.