Revealed: Why this stunning photo of an Aussie Paris Olympics star completely breaking down on the team bus is NOT what it seems
- Abby Andrews was overcome with emotion after the event
- The display came as Australia had its best ever Olympic Games
Any Australian fan watching the raw footage of water polo player Abby Andrews breaking down in tears on the team bus would rightly think she had just suffered a devastating loss. The opposite is true.
Andrews, 23, played a key role in the team’s epic penalty shootout win over the U.S., scoring three goals in the game’s third period to help her team come back from a 5-2 deficit.
Her finesse in front of goal gave the Aussies a chance against a mighty America, who were chasing their fourth straight Olympic title.
The Stingers eventually won 14-13 at the La Defense Arena, leading to euphoric scenes by the pool in Paris.
And the enormity of the achievement was not lost on teammate Tilly Kearns, who posted the emotional photo of Andrews on Instagram.
The moving photo was captioned: ‘First time in 24 years for Australia…one more time to get #Olympics.’
It was a famous victory for Bec Rippon’s team, who became the first Australian women’s team to reach the final since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when the sport was first introduced at Olympic level for women.
“I remember sitting in that stand in Sydney as a kid,” Rippon said after the game.
A raw image of Stingers star Abby Andrews crying tears of joy on the team bus has left Australian sports fans feeling extremely patriotic
The Stingers eventually won 14-13 in a penalty shootout against the mighty USA, which set them up for a gold medal match against Spain.
Those players [from the 2000 Games] are still there and inspire us.
‘We look up to them and are inspired by them…but mostly we try to drive them ourselves and create our own piece of history and leave a legacy.’
Incredibly, players like Andrews and Kearns, the daughter of Wallabies legend Phil, weren’t even born when Australia last won gold in women’s water polo.
Goalkeeper Gabriella Palm also played a key role for the Stingers, with her decisive moment in the shoot-out denying American star Maddie Musselman the difference.
Spain, still undefeated in Paris, defeated the Netherlands 19-18 in another shoot-out match, making for a thrilling final against the Aussies.
The action starts on Saturday, August 10th at 11:35pm AEST.