Sharks finish fifth

The Australian men’s water polo team, featuring eight NSWIS athletes, has finished fifth at the 2014 FINA World Cup in Kazakhstan.

After being eliminated from medal contention by the USA, the Sharks breezed past South Africa 13-2 in a classification match before being drawn against hosts Kazakhstan in the fifth and sixth place playoff.

The Sharks had defeated the hosts earlier in the tournament and made it two victories from two matches with a solid 12-6 win. NSWIS athletes Johnno Cotterill and Aidan Roach were the standout performers, with Cotterill scoring four and Roach contributing with a hattrick.

The tournament was won by Serbia, with Hungary second and Croatia third.

NSWIS athletes in the Australian team were Cotterill, Roach, James Clark, Richie Campbell, Jarrod Gilchrist, Tyler Martin, Nathan Power and Mitch Emery.