Australia in water polo shootout drama at Olympics amid gutting scenes for men's team

The Australian women's water polo team will battle for gold at the Olympic Games after edging the USA in a dramatic penalty shootout victory in the semi-finals. However, there was heartbreak for the men's side as America got their revenge in another tense shootout to send the Aussie Sharks packing in the Paris quarter-finals.

Despair for the Aussie men came amid elation for our women as the Stingers defied the odds to dethrone the three-time defending women's water polo champions from the USA in wild scenes. The famous win makes them the first Australian women's water side to reach an Olympic final since the class of 2000 claimed gold at the Sydney Games.

The Stingers are now guaranteed their first medal at the Olympics since winning bronze in 2012 but will be hungry for gold after toppling the mighty Americans in a 14-13 triumph. The Aussies will face Spain in the final after the European powerhouse beat the Netherlands 19-18 in another shoot-out game that finished 14-all in regulation.

The Australians booked their spot in the gold medal game after their match against USA ended 8-8 at full-time. It set the stage for Aussie goalie Gabriella Palm to emerge as the hero for the Stingers in the shootout as she made a match-winning save from Maddie Musselman, while leading 6-5 in sudden-death.

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Goalie Gabriella Palm the penalty shootout hero for Aussies

Palm's epic stop sparked wild and tearful scenes as the Aussies celebrated in front of a packed 15,000-strong La Defense Arena."When we beat the US in that final in Sydney 2000, it was epic. I was a kid there watching, and it really inspired Australia and Australians to play water polo. I was one of them," said Bec Rippon, who took over as their first female coach last year. We've wanted to relive that and bring that back to Australia. We're really proud."

Australia's epic win came after they found themselves 5-2 down just before halftime but a standout display from Abby Andrews sparked a stunning turnaround for the Aussies, before Palm's heroics in goal. Four thunderbolt goals from Andrew in the third period turned the tide. Rippon continued her tactics of switching goalies in shootouts, with Palm and Genevieve Longman both having a turn to stop the American penalty takers.

It was the perfectly timed reintroduction of Palm that proved a masterstroke though as she deflected Musselman's low shot to her right to spark pandemonium. "I realised I'd saved it, but then it was like, a slow-motion wait - I'd saved it, but what does this mean? Then it was just like incredible. I was freaking lassooing!" Palm laughed. "Are you kidding me? Like, winning a semi-final against a three-time Olympic champions? It's really special. We've got such an incredible history and legacy as the Stingers and it's been a while since we've been in a gold medal chance."

Aussie men's water polo team in shootout heartbreak

There was no fairytale finish for the men's team though after their quarter-final against the USA also ended in penalty shootout drama, but ultimately heartache for the Sharks. The Aussie men's side came from behind to lead the match 7-6 with less than one minute to play, but the USA tied it up to send the game to a shootout, and the Americans eventually prevailed 11-10.

The Sharks have never finished higher than fifth at an Olympic Games campaign but will be wondering what could have been after coming agonisingly close to guaranteeing a first Games medal. The Aussies went 3-1 up as the Americans saw Johnny Hooper handed a red card and removed from the game for throwing a punch at an Aussie player.

Australia capitalised after the ugly scenes by extending their lead to 5-3 at the end of the second quarter. But the momentum quickly shifted as the USA scored two unanswered goals in the third quarter to level things at 5-5, before the sea-sawing drama of the final quarter.

Both sides matched one another early in the shootout before two Aussie misses proved costly and the Americans pounced, sealing the 11-10 victory to leave the Sharks shattered. "It's absolute heartbreak for the Australians but joy for the Americans," Nine commentator Jon Harker said. "The toughest for all circumstances. It's a devastated Australian team but they did a great job here. They had a real chance here and they have played above themselves. Well done."

with AAP