Under the guidance of coach Evangelos Doudesis, the Netherlands returned to the Olympic podium in women’s water polo after 16 years, following their gold medal win in Beijing.
In an incredible comeback, the Netherlands defeated the USA 11-10, clinching the bronze medal in Paris.
The victory was sealed by Sabrina van der Sloot, the 34-year-old captain, who scored six goals out of seven attempts, with her final goal deciding the outcome.
With the score tied at 10-10, Doudesis called a timeout with nine seconds remaining before the match would go to penalties. However, Van der Sloot took control, swimming with the ball without passing, and just one second before the end, she “executed” Ashley Johnson, scoring the winning goal to make it 11-10.
