Road to Rio: Water polo women hoping to repeat golden success of Sydney 2000 Olympics

Australia's women's water polo team were left speechless when they realised the call telling them the team was heading to Rio were made by members of Australia's victorious Sydney 2000 team.

The womens water polo team, the Stingers, are ready to re-write Olympic history in Rio. Source: SBS News

It might not sound like a big deal, but for the Rio-bound women's water polo team, the Stingers, getting the official call to confirm their places from the Sydney 2000 gold medal winners was something special.

The team's captain Bronwen Knox chose to play Water Polo after watching that golden moment at the Sydney games.

"I just fell in love with it," Knox told SBS News.

"It was such a good game to watch, it really made me want to play and be an Olympian in water polo."

Australia's women's Water Polo team the "Stingers" go through their paces at their final Sydney training camp. Source: SBS

But when Knox's third Olympic call-up came through it was one of her Sydney 2000 gold medal-winning heroes on the other end of the line. 

Knox, and her teammates, including Keesja Gofers, believe they can win gold in Rio after bringing home bronze from the Beijing and London Olympics.

"I think we can finally get there," Gofers, who is also heading to her third Olympics, said.

Gofers believes the team has a massive opportunity to repeat the heroics of 2000. 

The USA is the biggest obstacle to achieve that objective, just as it was 16 years ago in that dramatic Olympic final, but if the atmosphere in the team's farewell training camp in Sydney is any indication, history may just be about to repeat itself.