Monday, October 30th.- The female's water polo competition began at the Centro Acuático del Estadio Nacional with a narrow victory by Cuba over Mexico, ending 14-11 in a match belonging to Group A. 

The balance was maintained throughout the game, with a 3-3 tie in the first quarter, a minimal lead of 4-3 for the Cubans in the second, and another 4-4 draw in the third. Only in the final period did the winners manage to establish a greater difference, 3-1, securing their final victory of 14-11. 

In this same group, Canada will later face Argentina, while in Group B, Brazil will compete against Puerto Rico, and the United States will face Chile. 

The United States has been a dominant force in water polo. In the female's division, this sport made its debut in Winnipeg in 1999, with Canada winning gold, the United States silver, and Brazil bronze. However, from Santo Domingo in 2003 to Lima in 2019, the podium has been virtually the same: the United States wins gold, Canada takes silver, and Brazil earns bronze. The only exception was in Rio de Janeiro in 2007, where Cuba claimed the third-place spot, replacing the Brazilians.  

In the male's division, the situation is not much different. The United States has won the gold medal in the last seven Pan American Games, from Mar del Plata in 1995 to Lima in 2019. In the latter, as in the female's category, Canada took silver and Brazil earned bronze. 


Written by Alejandro Pérez and María Fernanda Pavez; translated by Josefina Zamorano / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Ph: Javier Salvo / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport