Women's Elite: ONN polo players win bronze with strength of heart

They faltered, then exploded with joy. On Sunday, May 18, in Lille, the players of Olympique Nice Natation (ONN) snatched the bronze medal in the French Elite Championship after a thrilling third-place final against Bordeaux (16-15). A crazy scenario, reflecting a team that has come from far behind.

Nice upsets Lille before losing in the semi-final

The day before, they had already made their mark. Facing the undefeated Lille players this season, the Nice players started off with a bang, leading 5-4 at the end of the first quarter. Unprecedented. "A huge match. We were the team that caused Lille the most problems," analyzes Elie Carreau, the Nice coach. The final score (18-10) doesn't tell the whole story. It doesn't convey the intensity, the nerve, the audacity. And above all, it doesn't tell the story of Lille dominating the final the next day (27-8 against Nancy), leaving a slight regret: "We could have been there."

A medal snatched on penalties against Bordeaux

But Nice didn't let their frustration linger. The next day, USB Bordeaux stood in their way. Right from the start, they missed a penalty: "At that point, we thought we'd lost the match." And things got grimmer: 8-3 for the Bordeaux team. "Under normal circumstances, it's impossible to come back," the coach assures.

ONN came back, equalized at 12-12, pushed Bordeaux to a penalty shootout, and won 16-15 (4 penalty shootouts to 3). "We came back from hell. We won with an incredible team." A victory of heart, of teamwork, of refusing to give up. "It's not enough to just have a good mindset. The girls knew how to fight in the water. That's the beauty of sport."

Half the squad will be leaving, the season is over, but this medal will always bind them together. "All the more beautiful because it symbolizes what we have done together. Something incredible," concludes Elie Carreau.