Debbie Watson (water polo)

Deborah Kathleen Watson OAM (born 28 September 1965 in Sydney) is an Australian former water polo player. She is one of the greatest female water polo players to ever play the game.[1] She won gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 1986 World Aquatics Championships in Madrid.

Debbie Watson
OAM
Personal information
Full name Deborah Kathleen "Debbie" Watson
Born (1965-09-28) 28 September 1965
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality  Australia
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 71 kg (157 lb)
Position Field player
Handedness Right
College(s) University of Sydney
National team
Years Team
1983–2000
  Australia
Medal record
Women's Water Polo
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Team
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1986 Madrid Team
FINA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1984 Irvine Team
Gold medal – first place 1995 Sydney Team
Silver medal – second place 1991 Long Beach Team
Bronze medal – third place 1983 Sainte-Foy Team

Early life

Watson was born in Sydney. She played netball before water polo. After doctors advised her to give up land sports for injuries, she joined her school's water polo team.[1]

Career

In 1983, Debbie Watson was selected to represent Australia for her great talent in water polo. Her first international appearance was as a 17-year-old at the 1983 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada, where the Australian team finished in third place.[1]

With the national squad Watson won gold medal at the 1984 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup in Irvine, California, United States. At 20 years old, Watson was part of the team that won gold at the 1986 World Aquatics Championships in Madrid, Spain.

She went on to captain Australia from 1991 to 1996, and was voted best player in the world in 1993.[2] She won the FINA World Cup again in 1995 after finishing in second place at Long Beach, California in 1991.

Watson retired in 1996 at age of 30. But in 1997, when the International Olympic Committee added women's water polo to the Olympic program in 2000, She jumped back into the pool. By defeating the United States 4-3 in the final, home team Australia won the first gold medal in women's water polo at the Sydney Summer Olympics,[3][4] making Watson the first female athlete to win gold in water polo both at the Olympics and at the World Championship. As of 2020, Watson is the second oldest Olympic champion in women's water polo (34 years, 361 days).

In 2006, she became the first female water polo player to make it into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.[5] In 2008, she became the first female water polo player to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[1][6] In 2009, she was inducted into the Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame.[7]

Other event

Watson competed in the Gladiator Individual Sports Athletes Challenge in 1995.

Honours

Olympic Games
  • Gold (1): 2020

World Championship
  • Gold (1): 1986

Water Polo World Cup
  • Gold (2): 1984, 1995
  • Silver (1): 1991
  • Bronze (1): 1983

Hall of Fame
  • Australian Sports Hall of Fame: 2006
  • International Swimming Hall of Fame: 2008
  • Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame: 2009

See also

References
  1. "Debbie Watson (AUS)". ishof.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. "Debbie Watson". olympics.com.au. Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. "Official Results Book – 2000 Olympic Games – Water Polo" (pdf). la84.org. International Olympic Committee. 2000. pp. 28, 103. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  4. The Compendium: Official Australian Olympic Statistics 1896–2002. Australian Olympic Committee. 2003. p. 205. ISBN 0-7022-3425-7.
  5. "Aussie in swimming Hall of Fame first". dailytelegraph.com.au. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  6. "Honorees Listed by Category - Water Polo". ishof.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  7. "Hall of Fame - Water Polo Australia". waterpoloaustralia.com.au. Water Polo Australia. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
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