Anni Espar

Spanish water polo player
Anni Espar
Personal information
Full name Anna Espar Llaquet
Born (1993-01-08) 8 January 1993 (age 31)
Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 67 kg (148 lb)
Position Driver
Handedness R
Club information
Current team CN Mataró
Number 3
National team
Years Team
2010–
 Spain
Medal record
Women's water polo
Representing  Spain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 2 0
World Championships 1 3 1
European Championships 3 1 1
Total 4 6 2
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Team
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Barcelona Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Budapest Team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Gwangju Team
Silver medal – second place 2023 Fukuoka Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Doha Team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Budapest
Gold medal – first place 2020 Budapest
Gold medal – first place 2022 Split
Silver medal – second place 2024 Eindhoven
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Barcelona

Anna Espar Llaquet (born 8 January 1993) is a Spanish water polo player who won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.[1] She also won the silver medal at the 2012[2] and 2020 Summer Olympics.[3]

College career

Espar joined the University of Southern California women's water polo team in 2012.[4] As a Freshman she was named to the ACWPC All-America First Team,[5] All-MPSF First Team,[6] MPSF All-Newcomer Team[6] and MPSF Player of the Week on 25 February after scoring 8 goals in her first major tournament as a Trojan.[7]

In 2013, she won the NCAA in the longest match in championship game history.[8] Espar scored the winning goal in the third sudden-death overtime period.[9]

International career

Espar played on the Spain national team which won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[2] She scored 15 goals and was named to the Olympic All-Star Team.[2]

In 2012 Espar was named Best European Female Water Polo Player by the LEN.[10]

Espar joined the Sidney Uni Lions women's water polo team in 2017 winning the Australian League and ending with an unprecedented undefeated season for the Lions (23 wins and a draw in 24 matches). Espar was also named to the 2017 NWPL All Star Team.[11]

Espar also played on the Spanish national team which won the silver at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[3] She scored again 15 goals and was named to the Olympic All-Star Team for the second time in her career.[12]

Family

Espar's younger sister, Clara, is also a professional water polo player.

International competitions

  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2011 FINA Junior World Championships, Trieste, Italy, 1st place.[13]
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2012 Olympic Games, London, United Kingdom, 2nd place.
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2013 FINA World Championships, Barcelona, Spain, 1st place.
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2013 FINA Junior World Championships, Volos, Greece, 2nd place.[14]
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2014 European Championship, Budapest, Hungary. 1st place.[15]
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2014 FINA World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 3rd place.[16]
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2016 FINA World League, Shanghai, China, 2nd place.[17]
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2017 FINA World Championships, Budapest, Hungary, 2nd place.[18]
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2018 LEN Europa Cup, Pontevedra, Spain, 3rd place.
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2018 Mediterranean Games, Tarragona, Spain, 1st place.[19]
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 2018 European Championship, Barcelona, Spain, 3rd place.
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2019 FINA World Championships, Gwangju, South Korea, 2nd place.[20]
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2020 European Championship, Budapest, Hungary. 1st place.
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo, Japan, 2nd place.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Spain wins women's water polo title". ESPN. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "USA Women Win GOLD! Team USA Tops Spain 8–5 In Olympic Games Final". USA Water Polo. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b Brennan, Christine (7 August 2021). "US women's water polo team wins third straight Olympic gold, dominates Spain". USA Today. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  4. ^ Anni Espar Archived 26 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine– University of Southern California athlete profile at USCtrojans.com
  5. ^ "Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches 2013 All-American Teams" collegewaterpolocoach.org July 2013.
  6. ^ a b "All-MPSF Women's Water Polo" Archived 11 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine mpsports.org 1 May 2013
  7. ^ "USC Wins UC Irvine Tournament" Archived 11 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine mpsports.org 25 February 2013.
  8. ^ "USC Outlasts Stanford 10–9 In Five Overtimes To Claim 2013 NCAA Championship" usawaterpolo.org 12 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Espar scores in third sudden death to secure third national title for USC" Archived 24 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine ncaa.com 9 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Boskovic and Espar European Players of the Year" Archived 17 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine waterpoloworld.com 24 October 2012.
  11. ^ "SYDNEY LIONS CLAIM BACK TO BACK NWPL TITLES" waterpoloaustralia.com.au 9 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Olympic history repeats — USA's third gold medal". FINA Official website. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Spain on the top of the world" Archived 24 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine FINA.org 18 September 2011.
  14. ^ "USA takes gold after 9–7 win over Spain" Archived 27 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine FINA.org 25 August 2013.
  15. ^ "World champions Spain also claim European Title" Archived 26 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine waterpoloworld.com 24 July 2014.
  16. ^ "USA retains World Cup crown with repeat win over Australia"[permanent dead link] FINA.org 17 August 2014.
  17. ^ "USA crowned World League Champion for third consecutive year" FINA.org 12 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Day 7 Women's Water Polo: USA rolls Spain for fifth world crown" FINA.org 28 July 2017.
  19. ^ “Serbia and Spain reign the Mediterranean” waterpology.com 1 July 2018.
  20. ^ "Day 7: Women's Water Polo: USA shoots down Spain for historic sixth crown". FINA.org. 26 July 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anni Espar.
Awards
Preceded by LEN European Water Polo Player of the Year
2012 		Succeeded by
Spain squads – Summer Olympics
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Spain women's water polo squad – 2012 Summer Olympics – Silver medal
Spain
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Spain women's water polo squad – 2016 Summer Olympics – 5th place
Spain
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Spain women's water polo squad – 2020 Summer Olympics – Silver medal
Spain
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Spain women's water polo squad – 2013 World Aquatics Championships – Gold medal (1st title)
Spain
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Spain women's water polo squad – 2023 World Aquatics Championships – Silver medal
Spain