The Canadian men's water polo team is taking on one of the best countries in world in their bid to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Canada, ranked No. 8 in the world, opens a two-game exhibition series against No. 2 Spain on Friday at Claude-Robillard Sport Complex in Montreal. The two countries meet again June 1 at Calgary's Talisman Centre.
The series versus Spain is critical in Canada's preparation for a summer of Olympic qualification chances which include the World League, the world championships and the Pan American Games.
"I'd say critical would be an ideal word to use," captain and goalkeeper Robin Randall said from Montreal. "It's our last year before the Olympics."
The men's water polo team finished 11th at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing in their first Olympic appearance since 1984. Canada moved up the ranks to eighth at the 2009 world championships.
There has been turnover on Canada's roster, however, and head coach Dragan Jovanovic says seven of his players are classified as junior players, born in 1991.
"Our goal is to qualify for the Olympics and stay in the top eight," Jovanovic said. "Our main goal is preparing for 2016 when we would like to be on the podium. That's what we're working on right now."
The Canadians and the Spaniards have been training together twice a day this week in Montreal in preparation for their exhibition games. That's important experience for a Jovanovic's young squad.
"The knowledge is there, but what is lacking is experience, confidence and maturity," Jovanovic said. "When is that going to come? I really don't know. I'm hoping as soon as possible.
"The Spanish team is a really mobile team, pretty explosive and quick in all segments of the game. That helps us bring our mobility to the next level. It's a pretty strong team to train against."
Randall, from Drinkwater, Sask., injects a young team with much-needed experience as the 31-year-old has played professional water polo in Sydney, Australia and Madrid, Spain.
Canada won't have veterans Justin Boyd of Beaconsfield, Que., or Aaron Feltham of Lindsay, Ont., in their lineup versus Spain. Boyd is still playing for his professional club team in Montenegro and Feltham is recovering from surgery.
Canada opens World League competition June 21 versus Montenegro in Florence, Italy. The winner of the 19-country World League secures a berth in the 2012 Olympics.
The top three finishers, or top four if the World League winner finishes in top three, at the world championships July 16-31 in Shanghai, China, will punch their ticket to London.
Canada's best opportunity to qualify for London is probably the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October. The winner gets an Olympic berth unless that country has already qualified.
If Canada met the U.S. for gold, for example, and the Americans already had an Olympic berth, then the Canadians would get in as runner-up.
Canada hosts a last-chance Olympic qualification tournament in April, 2012, when three more teams can get into the Olympic field. But with preparation time so important, Jovanovic wants his team to secure an Olympic berth this calendar year.
The water polo team trains year-round at the Talisman Centre and the University of Calgary. Randall says they're in the pool training 11 times a week and also have five weight-training sessions per week.
"It takes a lot out of you," Randall said. "You don't want to be doing anything between practices."
Canada's resurgence in men's water polo coincided with a push from Sport Canada to improve the country's performances in the team sports of basketball, volleyball, field hockey, water polo and rugby.
Last year, the federal government committed $6 million annually to those team sports from its summer-sport funding.
The men's water polo team received about $1.5 million in funding this year from Own The Podium. That money allowed Canada to bring Spain here and also helped pay for the Canadians to travel to Europe to train with other countries this year.
"Without that recognition from Own The Podium . . . we wouldn't be able to do what we're doing right now," Jovanovic said. "This event and pretty much everything else."
"Our summer is going to last four six months this year because the Pan American Games are at the end of October, so that's six months of travelling and games and everything else. Training at home costs money as well."
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