Pitt Meadows water polo player Eggens knocked out of Olympic medal contention

The medal aspirations for Water Polo Canada and Pitt Meadows player Monika Eggens ended after a defeat against the U.S. women on Monday.

After a 16-5 loss to Team USA, the best the Canadian women can place is fifth.

Despite a quarterfinal loss, #TeamCanada could still match their best ever water polo result in an Olympic Games 💪

🇨🇦 is back in action Thursday 🤽‍♀️

Details ➡️ https://t.co/AEP6Flzvbq pic.twitter.com/7HtwCitGwa

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) August 3, 2021

The dynastic American women are now after their third straight gold medal. They haven’t lost an Olympic match since 2008.

The Canadian women had been ranked sixth, but are at their first Olympics in water polo since 2004, and the CBC billed their meeting the Americans a “David and Goliath” match.

“We were on our heels right from the start,” said Canadian coach David Paradelo, noting the U.S. jumped out to an early 5-0 lead.

“We let them execute and they are good. We are better than that. We were not ready”

“When they are on, they are on. They are quite amazing and fast. So we have to be able to be as quick and as good but today that wasn’t the case.”

The next game for Canada will be Thursday against Australia. They will play two more matches, and will finish somewhere between fifth and eighth.

READ ALSO: Canada’s Ellie Black finishes fourth in women’s beam, Biles takes bronze

Canada lost to the Netherlands 16-12, Australia 8-5 and Spain 14-10, and beat South Africa 21-1.

“The other games left are as important as every game in the tournament,” said the coach. “We want to finish in the best seating possible to show what water polo in Canada is all about.”

The local content in the Games includes Maple Ridge’s Larissa Franklin, who won a bronze medal with the women’s softball team.

READ ALSO: Maple Ridge softball star says bronze medal win ‘surreal’

Brian Malfesi will compete in Canoe and Kayak competition this week. He will race in the men’s double kayak 1,000 metre event with teammate Vincent Jourdenais of Quebec. He is scheduled to compete Tuesday evening.

Brent Hayden, who was born in Maple Ridge and now lives in Mission, set a new national record with teammates on the Canadian men’s 4x100m freestyle swim team, but failed to capture a medal.