By Martin Walker
Angie Winstanley-Smith got her Olympic campaign off to a dream start with a hat-trick on Monday night, but Great Britain’s women’s water polo team lost their opening game against Russia.
The 26-year-old Newtonian, a former Woodham School pupil, scored three goals for Team GB – including an equaliser in the final quarter of the game.
But Evgeniya Ivanova scored the winner with less than four minutes to go as Team GB lost their first group game.
Russia led 3-2 after the first quarter, but Team GB clawed their way back into it with a 3-2 win in the second quarter, going into half-time level pegging at 5-5.
The Russians edged the third quarter 1-0 before Winstanley-Smith scored two minutes into the last quarter, before Russia’s heart-breaking clincher with just under four minutes left.
Team GB’s second group game is against Australia on Wednesday night (7.40pm), followed by the third and final group game against Italy on Friday night (6.20pm).
