Water Polo Canada Women's U18 National Team takes 12th place at the 2024 World Aquatics Women's U18 Championships

Ottawa, September 23, 2024 - The Water Polo Canada Women’s U18 National Team took 12th place at the 2024 World Aquatics Women’s U18 Championships, which were held September 15-22 in Chengdu, China.

In the preliminary round, the Canadian team started off the tournament with two wins, 21-11 against Thailand and 18-7 against South Africa. However, the squad lost its four following matches, played against Croatia, Italy, China and Israel, to end up in 12th position overall out of 20 teams.

"All I ask of these young ladies is to play, compete, and grow through the process — and they have done just that," said the Head Coach for the Water Polo Canada Women’s U18 National Team, Krystina Alogbo. "The opportunities to win are right in front of us. With the chance to train together and compete regularly at a high level, our performances as a team will significantly improve, along with our understanding of the game and system. At times, we saw hesitation or delayed decision-making, but these athletes have shown nothing but receptiveness and drive to learn and push themselves further. That's all a coach can ask for, and I am committed to giving the same effort in return. These games have given us invaluable knowledge, experience, and understanding, and I’m excited for what the future holds."

“I'm truly proud of how far we've come as a team and how we've developed into a family, both in and out of the water,” added Team Captain Alexandra Stoddard. “Throughout the tournament, we could clearly see the significant potential this team holds, and I hope that we may pursue it.”

Held every two years, the World Aquatics Women’s U18 Championships showcased athletes who are 18 years old and younger (i.e. born in 2006 or later).

Martin Murray also attended the 2024 World Aquatics Women’s U18 Championships as a referee.

More details are available at https://www.waterpolo.ca/content/World-Aquatics-Womens-U18-Championships-2024.

Canadian Team at the 2024 World Aquatics Women’s U18 Championships
-BARKOVA, Alina (Surrey, B.C. - Surrey Water Polo)
-BASU, Jaya (Montréal, QC - CAMO)
-BENJAMIN, Cianne (Toronto, ON - Shadow Water Polo)
-BLAZEVIC, Natalia (Vancouver, B.C. - Pacific Storm)
-COWAN, Penny (Stony Plain, AB - Edmonton Tsunami)
-FOLK, Abigail (Ashburn, ON - Mavericks Water Polo)
-GAUL, Kayla (Dorval, QC - CAMO)
-KRUSHEN, Sydney (Regina, SK - Team Sask)
-LOW, Sidney (Vancouver, B.C. - Pacific Storm)
-LUKIE, Amelia (Calgary, AB - Calgary Renegades)
-MADY, Isabelle (Delta, B.C. - Fraser Valley)
-MILNE, Riley (Burnaby, B.C. - Pacific Storm)
-PLOMP, Brooklyn (Ottawa, ON - Diablo Alliance Water Polo)
-STODDARD, Alexandra (Abbotsford, B.C. - Fraser Valley)
-ULMER-LUTUDROMU, Maklayla (Regina, SK - Team Sask)

Support Staff:
Head Coach: Krystina Alogbo
Assistant Coach: Nikolina Mihajlovik
Team Manager: Emilie Cassidy
Athletic Therapist: Danaée Vachon