Team Canada qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in women’s water polo. Despite losing 18-12 in an Olympic qualifying match against Italy on Friday, Canada qualified because South Africa withdrew its participation. There is currently no reason for South Africa to withdraw from the Olympic Games, but according to Radio-Canada Sports, there will be more details in the future.

Canada finished eighth in the women’s water polo tournament at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. They secured the final qualifying spot despite a record of three wins and four losses at the World Championships. One of those victories came against South Africa, as Canada won handily 24-2.

A total of 10 teams are participating in the Olympic Games in women’s water polo. Canada is joined by France, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, China, the United States, Greece, Hungary and Italy.

South Africa did not withdraw its participation in the Olympic Games in the men’s tournament, but only in the women’s tournament. At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, South Africa lost all three men’s matches by a combined total score of 79-18. On the women’s side, South Africa lost all three matches by a combined score of 63-10.

The International Olympic Committee must ask itself why an African team was given an automatic place in the Olympic water polo games. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, South Africa lost all four matches by a combined score of 97-7 for the women, and all five matches by a combined score of 116-20 for the men.