Australia keeps water polo in the family

(BEIJING, August 7) -- The Australian men's and women's teams will make water polo a family affair during the Beijing 2008 Olympic competition.

There is one set of three sisters, one set of two sisters, and a brother-sister combination. Confusion is likely given the shared surname of two non-related players, goalkeeper Emma Knox and centre-forward Bronwen Knox.

Aussie Stingers captain Melissa Rippon will team up with older sister Rebecca Rippon and step-sister Kate Gynther. They are joined on the national team by Sydney sisters Jenna and Mia Santoromito.

The Tianjin 2006 World Cup-winning trio, returning for their second consecutive Games, are among the best players in the world. Melissa and Kate were named to the tournament all-star team at the Melbourne 2007 FINA World Championships.

Gynther is a crack shot, having twice finished as leading goalscorer at the FINA World League Super Finals.

Jenna Santoromito has been playing since the age of 12, following her sister Mia into the sport, for which they now train and compete together. Their younger sister, Blaze, is an Australian Junior representative.

Gemma Beadsworth is the best junior female player in the world, having led her Australian team to the gold medal at the Porto 2007 FINA World Junior Championships, where she was named most valuable player and equal-highest goal scorer.

Beadsworth plays center-forward, as does her older brother, Jamie Beadsworth, who plays for the Aussie Sharks men's team. Both are first-time Olympians.

Australia, ranked second in the world and the winner of the World Cup in 2006, is a strong contender for a medal in Beijing.

They will play their first game of the preliminary round against Athens silver medalist Greece on August 11 at the Yingdong Natatorium in Beijing.