Australia’s Stingers suffered a bitter disappointment at the Olympics, losing 11-9 to Spain in the women’s water polo final, and their frustrating 24-year wait for the sport’s biggest title continues.

Bec Rippon’s team were unbeaten throughout the tournament and finally faced a brilliant Spanish team powered by four-goal scorer Bea Ortiz and hat-trick star Maica Garcia Godoy at the pulsating La Defense Arena on Saturday.

Not even five goals from their brilliant top scorer Alice Williams were enough for the Stingers, who had tried to emulate the famous Sydney 2000 class that had won the first women’s tournament at home.

Since then, the Stingers have narrowly lost at numerous global tournaments and this defeat was also deeply frustrating as they felt far inferior to the Spaniards, who added to their silver medal at the Tokyo Games.

It promised to be a close game from the start between the tournament’s two unbeaten sides and Williams put Australia ahead with a penalty just two minutes in to calm nerves. However, Spain responded with two quick goals and hit the woodwork twice more.

Under pressure, the Australians were relieved just 1.1 seconds before the end of the opening period and equalised with a great shot from the predatory Williams.

However, two of the tournament’s best attacking teams were thwarted by outstanding performances from Australian semi-final heroine Gabriella Palm and Spanish goalkeeper Martina Terre.

But Palm let a ball from Garcia Godoy slip through their defense, allowing the Spaniards to narrowly take a 3-2 lead at halftime.

After the break, the goals suddenly started coming: Spanish rider Ortiz scored a hat-trick for the Spaniards within 90 seconds, interrupted by a left-handed blitz from Abby Andrews.

With the team trailing by three goals, Australian coach Rippon called a timeout and her team’s reaction was not long in coming as Williams completed her hat trick.

The reigning silver medalists converted another penalty, but Danijela Jackovich took advantage of the rebound to reduce the Stingers’ deficit to two points before the final phase.

But even when Sienna Hearn brought the Stingers back to within one goal, the Spanish women remained relentless and extended their lead to four goals, with Ortiz and Garcia Godoy again getting on the scoresheet.

Two more goals from Williams and another from Hearn proved to be too little and too late for the Stingers.