- The Australian water polo team was announced on Tuesday
- Olympics boss Matt Carroll has butchered his pronunciation of names
- The Aussie Sharks hope to win a surprising gold in Paris
Australia’s water polo team for the Olympics was announced on Tuesday, although chef Matt Carroll struggled to read out the lucky stars who made it to Paris.
The 13-man team, made up of 10 debutants, was named in a unique location, with members of the squad standing under a shark tank as Carroll delivered the list to the media.
Some players were not present, and Australian Olympic Committee boss Carroll made sure to make special mention of the absent stars.
But things didn’t quite go to plan, with the manager needing help from coach Tim Hamill.
“Special mention to our Aussie Sharks who are not here today and are currently playing in Croatia,” he began.
Australian Olympic boss Matt Carroll has slammed the water polo team’s announcement
The thirteen-member selection for Paris was announced on Tuesday at the Sydney Aquarium
“Jacob…” followed by a long silence. “Mercep and Marcus… Berehulak.”
Hamill, eager to help Carroll get the pronunciation correct, correctly repeated “Berehulak.”
Carroll continued, “And in Spain Nic Por… Porter and Jon Hedges.
“And also Luke… Pavillard.”
Australia has an outside chance of winning gold this summer, with the sport’s powerhouses Croatia and Spain the favorites to top the podium.
Co-captain Nathan Power said two months of intensive training lie ahead for the team.
‘Right now the focus is on the hard work we still have to do between now and Paris.
Carroll needed help from team coach Tim Hamill to pronounce some names
“The exciting thing for us is that we know that our best people can really challenge anyone in the world… the outcome or possibilities are endless.”
Hamill said: “It’s the greatest thing you can do as a water polo player in the world, and as a country we know how celebrated our Olympians are,” Hamill said.
“What you will see from the Aussie Sharks in Paris is that we are an extremely enthusiastic and motivated group, and we are not afraid of any opponent.”