Melissa Rippon facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Melissa Alison Rippon | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 January 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 169 cm (5 ft 7 in) (2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) (2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Water polo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Women's team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Melissa Alison Rippon, born on January 20, 1981, is a former Australian water polo player. She played for the Brisbane Barracudas team in the National Water Polo League. Melissa proudly represented Australia in water polo at three Summer Olympics: 2004, 2008, and 2012. She won bronze medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She also earned a silver medal at the 2010 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup.
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About Melissa Rippon's Life
Melissa Rippon was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is 169 centimeters (about 5 feet 6 inches) tall and weighs 70 kilograms (about 154 pounds). Melissa has a sister, Rebecca Rippon, and a step-sister, Kate Gynther. Both her sister and step-sister also played water polo for Australia.
Melissa's mother passed away in 2000. Melissa was able to spend more time with her mother because an injury prevented her from competing in the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2002, her father remarried, and Kate Gynther became her step-sister. Melissa and Kate became very close friends.
In 2000, Melissa watched Australia win the first women's water polo gold medal at the Olympics. She was there with her father, cheering on the team. In 2002, Melissa moved to Brisbane. Her father joined her in 2003, and she and Kate lived with their parents in Oxley, Queensland.
Melissa Rippon's Water Polo Career
Melissa started playing water polo because her sister played the sport. In 2002, she received a scholarship from the Queensland Academy of Sport. In 2006, an injury kept her from playing internationally for a while.
In 2017, Melissa received a special award called the Inclusive Coach Award. This award recognized her work with the Brisbane Tritons, a water polo club that welcomes everyone. She shared this award with fellow coach Damien Hicks.
Playing for the Brisbane Barracudas
Melissa played club water polo for the Brisbane Barracudas. This team competes in Australia's National Water Polo League. She was part of the team in 2008 and 2011. Matches between the Barracudas and another team, the Breakers, were often very exciting. Melissa played in these big games, including one in 2008. She was also with the team for the 2012 season.
In 2000, Melissa injured her wrist. This injury meant she could not join the national team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. In 2008, she was part of the training squad for the Women's International Series.
Olympic Games Appearances
Melissa was a member of the Australia women's national water polo team that finished fourth at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She then helped the team win a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her team played against Hungary for the bronze medal after a close semi-final loss to the United States. Earlier in the Olympics, her team had tied with Hungary.
Melissa was selected for the Olympic training team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The team was later narrowed down to 13 players for the games. Melissa, her sister Rebecca, and step-sister Kate Gynther had hoped to be the first Australian siblings to all compete in three Olympics together. However, Rebecca was not selected for the 2012 team. Melissa and Kate both competed and won another bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Other National Team Games
Melissa represented Australia at the 2005 World Championships in Canada. She scored a goal in Australia's semi-final win against the Netherlands. In 2005, she also won a bronze medal at the FINA World League Super Finals in Russia.
In 2006, Melissa was part of the Australian team that won first place at the 2006 FINA Water Polo World Cup. That same year, she won a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In 2007, she was the team captain. She helped the Australian team finish second at the FINA Water Polo World Championships.
Melissa played in a series against New Zealand in December 2007. Australia won the first two games easily. In the second game, she was kicked by an opposing player and missed the third game. She was part of Australia's Olympic qualification games in 2008. She scored a goal in an 18–1 victory over New Zealand.
In 2008, Melissa played in a close 7–7 draw against Hungary. She was also part of the team that competed in the FINA World League preliminary round in China. In a qualifier game against China, she scored a goal in an 11–9 win that went to a penalty shootout.
In 2009, Melissa was again the team captain. In August 2010, she played for the national team at a special tournament in Sydney. She scored the winning goal in a 10–8 victory over the United States. This was her 212th game for the senior team.
In 2010, Melissa was part of the Stingers squad that competed at the FINA World Cup in New Zealand. She scored a goal in the team's 10–8 victory over the United States in the finals.
In April 2011, she attended a training camp to prepare for major championships. In 2011, she was one of five Queensland players on the Australian Stingers team for the FINA World League competition in New Zealand. In July 2011, she played for the Australian Stingers at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai.
Melissa competed in the 2012 Pan Pacific Water Polo Championships in January 2012. She was also part of the Stingers team that played a five-game series against Great Britain in February 2012. In the first game, which Australia won 13–5, she scored one goal.
See also
In Spanish: Melissa Rippon para niños
- Australia women's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
- List of Olympic medalists in water polo (women)
- List of players who have appeared in multiple women's Olympic water polo tournaments
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo
