Competing at the World University Games
Water polo player Emma Bartlett, a Medical Education postgraduate student, competed at the World University Games in Chinese Taipei earlier this year.
We arrived in Chinese Taipei in early August following an intensive 2 week training camp in Manchester and a successful EU nation’s cup gold medal in Pilsen. Due to Water Polo having the longest competition schedule we were the GB first team to arrive in the camp. We were welcomed by the headquarters staff from BUCS who supported us both at highs and lows throughout the whole competition. The HQ, medical and physio care received during the competition was second to none and a big thank you should go out to the BUCS team. Moving into a specially built athlete’s village is an experience of its own. It had its own shops, florist and food hall which seated 5000 people. A multi-sport event has a different environment and fuels excitement in an athlete’s village that I have never experienced in previous events. We didn’t waist much time and were back into training to prepare for our first game.
The care we received in Chinese Taipei was amazing. Every time we left the village we have a police blue light escort and we had an amazing attaché called laksing who supported us and came everywhere with us. The welcome we received was so friendly and we even ended up on the local news after a party hosted by the British Consulate.
Soon after we arrived we had our first game closely followed by the opening ceremony. Having never experienced an athlete’s march as part of an opening ceremony this was a new experience for me and made even more special by spotting my parents in the 3rd row as we march past following the British flag. Every country marched and it felt great to experience this as a team.
Early group games were difficult. This is the first time a senior women’s water polo team has played internationally for a few years and we came up against teams with a vast wealth of experience including many teams full of players just returned from the world championships in Budapest. We were laying against teams with Olympic medallists. Our best game of the group stage was a thrilling 9–9 draw with the New Zealand team, coached by one of the players who represented GB at the London Olympics. For me I learnt a great deal about myself in these early games. They were hard fought, which we were expecting, however having never competed on a world stage before I learnt a great deal from the experience. I hope to take this experience forward when completing this year hopefully both nationally and internationally.
Following the group stages we won our first game against Argentina, leading us into a 9th/10th play-off against Greece. The venue for this game moved to the national stadium. We were playing in the biggest arena I have ever played in and a completely new and amazing experience for me. This game was close; with the team going 2–0 down but managing to pull the game back to a 7–7 for a penalty shoot-out. The team played well with many different members of the team getting on the score sheet. There were mixed emotions for me during this game, having scored twice in open play but had my penalty saved by the Greek keeper during the shootout. Unfortunately after a close fought game we lost on penalties to come 10th overall.
My experience in Taipei started long before we even got there. Efforts put in over the past months made my overall experience something I will never forget and allowed me to make the most of the opportunity given to me. Preparing for the event involved training supported by so many different clubs and individuals; City of Manchester water polo club, COSACS, Keele University swim club, Paragon swim club and the elite athlete programme at Keele. Support from all this gave me the backing to go forward and compete. I cannot thank the clubs mentioned above enough for the support and coaching that brought me to this position. They worked around my busy schedule of working as a doctor and completing my first year of a master’s programme to allow me to get the best out of training.
Initially I actually started out as a swimmer, competitively racing from the ages of 7 to 11. At the age of 12 I wanted to be involved in team sport and started playing water polo for Lymm High School and Warrington Water polo club. From my school team I was asked to come and play for city of Manchester and developing further as a water polo player, competing in two European junior championships before I left school for Great Britain.
Overall world university game’s was such an amazing experience, allowing me to develop as a player and a person with the support of so many people. Thank you to the coaching staff, Theo, Chloe and Fliss, for ongoing support and such a memorable experience; also to the team, especially our captain Katie and vice-captain Kathryn. I am proud of what we achieved on a world stage, qualifying for the next world university games and developing as a team throughout the competition. Thank you to Keele University for ongoing elite athlete support and financial support that funded me to Chinese Taipei. Lastly a big thank you has to go to my parents, from taking me to morning training at 5am from the age of 10, to watching every game in Taipei, their support has been invaluable and I could not have done it without them.
