Barcelona, Spain – Capping two weeks of competition at the 2018 LEN European Water Polo Championships, Sun Devil Bente Rogge and Team Netherlands won the gold medal in their third-straight appearance in the championship match with a 6-4 victory over Greece.
This was the Netherlands' ninth LEN European Championships finals, including their third straight advancement to the final match (also 2014 and 2016), but they had not been able to bring home gold since 1993 (also: 1985, 1987, 1989 in the first three years of the women's tournament). The Dutch prevented the Greeks from the title after Greece previously appeared in the final match in 2010 and 2012.
Friday's gold medal match was the third time the Netherlands and Greece have faced this season, first an 8-6 victory for the Greeks at the Europa Cup on Mar. 23, and second, an 8-7 victory for the Dutch in the group stage of this tournament on July 21.
For the 12th time in the 18-year history of the women's championships, the Netherlands earns a top-three finish (five gold medals, four silver medals, three bronze medals), now tied with Italy for the most titles (5), with the second-most medals behind Hungary (13).
The Dutch National Team advanced to the finals with an easy 22-2 victory over Germany in the quarterfinals and a closely contested 8-7 win vs. Hungary in the semifinals. They were the top-ranked team coming out of Group A in preliminary group rounds with five straight victories or ties including 21-1 win over Croatia, a 20-2 win vs. Israel, a 6-6 tie vs. Italy, a 20-4 win vs. France, and an 8-7 win vs. Greece.
Rogge logged three goals in the win vs. France as well as in the quarterfinal victory vs. Germany, scored two goals apiece in early wins vs. Croatia and Israel, and scored an extremely important goal to put the Netherlands up 5-4 just before halftime of the semifinal win.
After the men's tournament began in 1926, the women's tournament started in 1985. Since 1999, the entirety of the European Water Polo Championship separated from the European Aquatics Championships.
Netherlands Women's European Water Polo Championship Top-3 Finishes
1985 (Oslo, Norway) – Gold
1987 (Strasbourg, France) – Gold
1989 (Bonn, West Germany) – Gold
1991 (Athens, Greece) – Silver
1993 (Leeds, United Kingdom) – Gold
1995 (Vienna, Austria) – Bronze
1997 (Sevilla, Spain) – Bronze
1999 (Prato, Italy) – Silver
2010 (Zagreb, Croatia) – Bronze
2014 (Budapest, Hungary) – Silver
2016 (Belgrade, Serbia) – Silver
2018 (Barcelona, Spain) – Gold
This was the Netherlands' ninth LEN European Championships finals, including their third straight advancement to the final match (also 2014 and 2016), but they had not been able to bring home gold since 1993 (also: 1985, 1987, 1989 in the first three years of the women's tournament). The Dutch prevented the Greeks from the title after Greece previously appeared in the final match in 2010 and 2012.
?? They are the champions! Congratulations to ???? ???? and ????! #WP2018BCN #NEDvsGRE pic.twitter.com/RD5oXCPrGy
— WP2018BCN (@wp2018bcn) July 27, 2018
Friday's gold medal match was the third time the Netherlands and Greece have faced this season, first an 8-6 victory for the Greeks at the Europa Cup on Mar. 23, and second, an 8-7 victory for the Dutch in the group stage of this tournament on July 21.
?? That moment when you become European Champion! Congratulations @waterpolodames ?? pic.twitter.com/u9K8FEoPCp
— WP2018BCN (@wp2018bcn) July 27, 2018
For the 12th time in the 18-year history of the women's championships, the Netherlands earns a top-three finish (five gold medals, four silver medals, three bronze medals), now tied with Italy for the most titles (5), with the second-most medals behind Hungary (13).
????? #WP2018BCN
— WP2018BCN (@wp2018bcn) July 27, 2018
? FULL-TIME
???? 6 - ???? 4
(2-1, 2-2, 1-0, 1-1)
?? THE NETHERLANDS ???? ARE THE NEW EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS ??
?? Full Results: https://t.co/8rmgJXwjEF pic.twitter.com/49o9AKzTyq
The Dutch National Team advanced to the finals with an easy 22-2 victory over Germany in the quarterfinals and a closely contested 8-7 win vs. Hungary in the semifinals. They were the top-ranked team coming out of Group A in preliminary group rounds with five straight victories or ties including 21-1 win over Croatia, a 20-2 win vs. Israel, a 6-6 tie vs. Italy, a 20-4 win vs. France, and an 8-7 win vs. Greece.
Rogge logged three goals in the win vs. France as well as in the quarterfinal victory vs. Germany, scored two goals apiece in early wins vs. Croatia and Israel, and scored an extremely important goal to put the Netherlands up 5-4 just before halftime of the semifinal win.
After the men's tournament began in 1926, the women's tournament started in 1985. Since 1999, the entirety of the European Water Polo Championship separated from the European Aquatics Championships.
Netherlands Women's European Water Polo Championship Top-3 Finishes
1985 (Oslo, Norway) – Gold
1987 (Strasbourg, France) – Gold
1989 (Bonn, West Germany) – Gold
1991 (Athens, Greece) – Silver
1993 (Leeds, United Kingdom) – Gold
1995 (Vienna, Austria) – Bronze
1997 (Sevilla, Spain) – Bronze
1999 (Prato, Italy) – Silver
2010 (Zagreb, Croatia) – Bronze
2014 (Budapest, Hungary) – Silver
2016 (Belgrade, Serbia) – Silver
2018 (Barcelona, Spain) – Gold