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Saturday, September 23
O'Toole leaves without dream gold
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- Maureen O'Toole's dreams of Olympic
gold will have to pass into history.
|  | | Members of the Australian women's water polo team celebrate their amazing last-second victory over the U.S. |
In a wild ending to the first-ever women's Olympic water polo
tournament that may never be topped, Yvette Higgins scored with 1.3
seconds left as Australia beat the United States 4-3 for the gold
medal Saturday night.
Both teams stood in the pool after Higgins' goal, uncertain
about the result. When it was ruled good, the nearly 17,000
spectators at the Sydney International Aquatic Center let out a
deafening roar as if Australia's beloved "Thorpey" had won
another gold.
American coach Guy Baker argued with officials as his shocked
team, one of the last teams to qualify here, looked lost.
It was one of the United States' best storylines: A team few
knew about led by O'Toole, the greatest player in the history of
water polo, playing her final game.
It was a game of wild swings and emotional highs, as organizers
had hoped when they added women's water polo after nearly 100 years
as an men's only Olympic event.
Naomi Castle thrilled the crowd with 1:50 to go with her shot
from the left side that gave Australia a 3-2 lead.
But after Taryn Woods was whistled for a foul, Brenda Villa
scored with 26 seconds remaining to deadlock things and perhaps set
up the tournament's first-ever overtime.
It wasn't to be. An apparent Australian goal was disallowed
because of a U.S. foul. Then the Aussies set it out for Higgins,
who rifled it past goalie Bernice Orwig with scant seconds left.
No one knew what to do. Fans wanted to cheer, but the goal judge
had not made a call. And Baker was rushing up the pool deck asking
for clarification and extra time.
The official notice set off bedlam and brought a close to the
Olympics' first women's event.
Earlier, Russia beat Netherlands 4-3 on another late comeback to
win the bronze.
The United States had not won a water polo medal since
consecutive silvers in 1984 and 1988. Its women had locked on to a
gold run with O'Toole, a 39-year-old who unretired when Olympic
officials accepted her sport.
She's leaving the game to raise her 8-year-old daughter, Kelly.
She had hoped to have a gold medal to remember her career by.
Instead, she'll savor the silver and memories of one of the
greatest careers her sport has seen.
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