A British water polo player hopes to line up for Australia at the 2016 Olympics in Rio after the collapse of the Great Britain team.
Scott Carpenter made his Australia debut last December after being fast-tracked into the team.
The 27-year-old did not represent his home nation at the London 2012 Olympics, when Britain's men competed for the first time in 56 years and the women's squad made their debut. Britain's men were 12th of 12 teams, while the Aussie Sharks finished seventh.
Carpenter's absence came following a dispute with British Swimming, the national governing body for water polo, but now he could be the only British water polo player to feature in Rio this summer after funding came to an abrupt halt post-London 2012.
"Everything got thrown at 2012 and there's not a lot left. As far as a legacy is concerned it's almost the opposite. If you want to play water polo at a high level, you have to play elsewhere," he told PA.
Fortunately for Carpenter, Australia were waiting for him. Talented British players often ply their trade abroad, with Australia a favoured destination.
A prolific goalscorer in Britain and capped at senior level at the age of 16, Carpenter first made an impact for Victorian Tigers in 2009.
He was approached then with a view to playing for the Sharks at London 2012 but had already committed to Great Britain before a fall out with the water polo hierarchy led to his absence from the home Olympics.
The dispute reignited interest in Carpenter from Australia, and, along with New Zealander Joe Kayes, he was fast-tracked through the qualification criteria and made his debut for the Sharks against Italy last December.
"As soon as I realised I wasn't going to be involved, I had a team, a city and, almost, a country, waiting for me on the other side of the world. I never really looked back," added Carpenter.
"I've got no regrets from my perspective, but it's pretty raw for a lot of people who care a great deal about British water polo. There hasn't been the legacy left for British water polo."
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