Reigning World Cup champions GRE ousted defending champions USA to reach their first women’s water polo world championship final since 2011 on Monday (21 July). 
They will face rivals HUN, to whom they narrowly lost 10-9 in their opening match of Singapore 2025, in what promises to be an exhilarating final on 23 July. HUN easily overcame Olympic champions ESP in the semi-finals, surging to a 6-1 lead in the first quarter and never backing down. Goalkeeper and Player of the Match Boglarka NESZMELY (HUN) was also huge in front of the goal, saving 61% of shots to protect her side’s lead. 

Earlier in the day, the clash between the in-form GRE and USA was a close one from the get-go with neither side scoring a goal for nearly seven minutes. The Americans finally broke the deadlock through Emma LINEBACK, who also doubled her side’s lead in the final minute before GRE pulled two back to level the score after the first quarter. GRE tightened their defence in the second quarter and took a narrow one-point lead at half-time. Both sides traded leads in the third quarter but it was GRE who kept their advantage going into the final eight minutes courtesy of goalkeeper’s 

Ioanna STAMATOPOULOU heroic saves. With a place in the final on the line, it was GRE who were more clinical with Vasiliki PLEVRITOU scoring three of her total four goals to clinch the victory for her side.

The full results are as follows –
FRA 9-14 GBR
CHN 10-6 NZL
AUS 21-17 JPN
GRE 14-9 USA
ITA 13-16 NED
HUN 15-9 ESP

Meanwhile, artistic swimmer Aleksandr MALTSEV (NAB) won his second gold in as many events at the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025, scoring 229.5613 to emerge tops in the men’s solo free on Monday (21 July). The 30-year-old, who won the men’s technical free title on Saturday, was the third athlete to start and remained in the winners’ chair throughout. GUO Muye (CHN, 220.1926) and Filippo PELATI (ITA, 213.9850) took silver and bronze, clinching their first world championship medals at the WCH Arena. 

In the evening, Austrian sisters Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina ALEXANDRI won the women’s duet technical gold with their score of 307.1451. The duo, who are part of a set of triplets, performed a graceful Swan Lake-themed routine to finish ahead of LIN Yanhan and LIN Yanjun (CHN, 301.4057), and Maiia DOROSHKO and Tatiana GAYDAY (NAB, 300.2183). 

The team technical preliminary round also got underway on Monday with CHN, NAB and ESP occupying the top three spots heading into Tuesday’s finals.

The artistic swimming event continues on 22 July with the women’s solo free finals and team technical finals.

Featured Photo Credit: World Aquatics

The World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 runs from 11th July to 22nd August 2025. More information available here

The full schedule for the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 can be found here. Details on ticketing can be found here, and information on the extensive global coverage of the event can be found here.