Russia’s women’s water polo team started their campaign for an Olympic berth in style, destroying their Slovakian rivals 31-2 in the opening game of the 2020 European Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
The Russians netted a total of 14 unanswered goals during the first two quarters to ensure a dominant victory long before the match ended.
The Slovakian squad managed to score two consolation goals while conceding 17 more in the following quarters, suffering a 31-2 defeat in the first group stage match.
The 2020 continental tournament has extra importance this year, with the gold medalists in both the men’s and women’s fields automatically qualifying for next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
The championship sees 12 European teams divided into two groups, with the top four squads advancing to the quarterfinals.
Russia is competing in Group A, along with Slovakia, host nation Hungary, Greece, Serbia, and Croatia.