{{short description|Australian water polo player (born 1986)}} {{similar names|Sophia Smith (disambiguation){{!}}Sophia Smith}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Sophie Smith | image = Sophie Smith.jpg | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|2|26|df=yes}} | birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|181|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}} (2011) | weight = {{convert|67|kg}} (2011) | website = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} --> | country = Australia | sport = Water polo | event = Women's team | collegeteam = Hartwick College | club = Queensland Breakers | team = | turnedpro = | coach = | retired = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | paralympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Women's water polo}} {{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}} {{MedalOlympic}} {{MedalBronze|2012 London|Team competition}} {{MedalCompetition|FINA Junior World Championships}} {{MedalBronze|2005 Championships|Team competition}} {{MedalCompetition|FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup}} {{MedalSilver|2010 World Cup| Team competition}} }}
'''Sophie Smith''' (born 26 February 1986) is an Australian water polo player. Her position of choice is centre back/drive. She has played for the Victorian Tigers and the Queensland Breakers in the National Water Polo League. She has represented Australia in water polo on the junior and senior level, winning a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2005 FINA Junior World Championships and at the 2010 FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Sophie Smith Bio, Stats, and Results|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/sophie-smith-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418053939/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/sophie-smith-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2020-04-18|website = Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|access-date = 2016-02-03}}</ref>
==Early life and education== {{update|section|date=June 2023}} Smith was born on 26 February 1986 in Brisbane.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith>{{cite web|url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/high-performance/senior-women-profiles/profiles/smith-sophie/|title=Australian Water Polo Inc.: Smith, Sophie|publisher=Australian Water Polo Inc. |author=Australian Water Polo Inc.|access-date=5 March 2012|location=Sydney, New South Wales|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318190954/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/high-performance/senior-women-profiles/profiles/smith-sophie/|archive-date=18 March 2012}}</ref><ref name=named-squad>{{cite news|url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/293300/20120206/final-aussie-stingers-olympic-train-squad-announced.htm |title=Final Aussie Stingers Olympic train on Squad Announced |publisher=Au.ibtimes.com |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=16 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314014813/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/293300/20120206/final-aussie-stingers-olympic-train-squad-announced.htm |archive-date=14 March 2014 }}</ref><ref name=breakers-club>{{cite news|title=Anatomy of a Champion|newspaper=Westside News|location=Brisbane, Australia|date=1 February 2012|page=055}}</ref> She attended the Brisbane Girls Grammar School.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/><ref name=make-2008-team>{{Cite news|title=water polo Olympics beckon|newspaper=City South News|location=Brisbane, Australia|date=13 March 2008|first=Matt|last=Johnson|page=61}}</ref> In 2005, she was living in Brisbane, Queensland.<ref name=junior-perth>{{cite news|title=Bronzed Aussies dig deep|newspaper=North West News|location=Brisbane, Australia|date=9 February 2005|page=70|id=NWN_T-20050209-1-070-796416|accessdate=18 February 2012|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AUNB:QGCBI&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10BE217EE67B3DF8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=1053B823C33F21F9}}</ref> She attended Hartwick College in New York on a water polo scholarship.<ref name="junior-perth"/> Smith is a student at the Queensland University of Technology, where she is completing a degree part-time in Bachelor of Creative Industries with a focus on fashion design.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/><ref name="breakers-club"/> She has a job working for Kim Ring, a Brisbane stylist,<ref name="breakers-club"/> and does work as a styling assistant and make up artist.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/>
==Water polo== thumb|She is introduced along with other players on the national team before the first game in the Australia versus Great Britain test. Smith is a centre back/driver and prefers to wear cap number 3.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/> She started playing water polo as a thirteen-year-old while at the Brisbane Grammar School.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/><ref name="make-2008-team"/>
===Club water polo=== Smith currently plays club water polo for the Queensland Breakers in the National Water Polo League,<ref name="breakers-club"/> and was with the team for their 2009 season.<ref name=break-2009>{{Cite web|access-date=2 March 2012 |url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2009-nwpl-season/2009-nwpl-clubs/2009-kfc-women/|author=Australian Water Polo Inc.|title=2009 KFC Women|location=Sydney, New South Wales|year=2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714133333/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2009-nwpl-season/2009-nwpl-clubs/2009-kfc-women/|archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> She has also played for the Brisbane Barracudas, and was on the 2008 squad.<ref name="make-2008-team"/><ref name=8-fish-swim>{{cite web|url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2008-nwpl-season/2008-nwpl-clubs/2008-barracudas-women/ |access-date=1 March 2012 |year=2009 |author=Australian Water Polo Inc. |title=2008 Barracudas Women |location=Sydney, Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424124700/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2008-nwpl-season/2008-nwpl-clubs/2008-barracudas-women/ |archive-date=24 April 2014 }}</ref> The annual match between KFC Breakers and Barracudas is one the Courier Mail considers a grudge match. She participated in the 2008 edition with her team.<ref name=grudge-match>{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/local-sport/the-good-oil-on-sports/story-e6frepno-1111115518515 |title=Mark 'The Ear' Oberhardt's take on sport |work=The Courier-Mail|date=10 February 2008 |accessdate=21 February 2012}}</ref> In 2012, she played for the Victorian Tigers.<ref name=tigers-2012>{{Cite web|access-date=2 March 2012|url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2012-nwpl-clubs/2012-victorian-tigers-women/|author=Australian Water Polo Inc.|title=2012 Victorian Tigers Women|location=Sydney, New South Wales|year=2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208134130/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/nwpl/2012-nwpl-clubs/2012-victorian-tigers-women/|archive-date=8 December 2012}}</ref> She has also played club polo in the United States and Italy.<ref name="make-2008-team"/> She played water polo on the university level for Hartwick College.<ref name=junior-perth/> In 2008, Smith played for an Australian Institute of Sport team.<ref name="make-2008-team"/>
===Junior national team=== Smith has represented Australia on the junior national level. In 2004, she was a member of the team that toured Europe in July and August.<ref name=2004-team-junior>{{cite web|url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/high-performance/archived-results/aus-womens-teams/australian-womens-teams/2004-australian-womens-teams/ |access-date=1 March 2012 |author=Australian Water Polo Inc. |title=2004 Australian Women's Teams |year=2004 |location=Sydney, Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209001433/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/high-performance/archived-results/aus-womens-teams/australian-womens-teams/2004-australian-womens-teams/ |archive-date= 9 December 2012 }}</ref> She was part of the Australian junior national team that competed at the 2005 World Junior Championships held in Perth, Western Australia. The team beat Greece 10-4 for the bronze medal game. The team's only loss in the tournament was a 4–5 loss to the United States.<ref name="junior-perth"/>
===Senior national team=== {{update|section|date=June 2023}} {{Wikinews|Australian women's water polo team takes test series against Great Britain}} {{Wikinews|Australia women's water polo team into FINA Women's World League Super Finals quarter finals}} Smith is a member of the Australian Stingers,<ref name=named-squad/> having always wanted to get on the team.<ref name="make-2008-team"/> Her first major international competition was the 2009 FINA World Championships held in Rome.<ref name=aussie-polo-smith/>
Smith was a member of the Stingers squad that competed at the 2010 FINA World Cup in Christchurch, New Zealand.<ref name=played-nz>{{cite news|title=Southern makes Stingers|newspaper=Innisfail Advocate|location=Australia|date=18 August 2010|page=16}}</ref><ref name=game-away-busy-august>{{cite news|title='Ticker' gets team a big win|newspaper=St. George and Sutherland Shire Leader|location=New South Wales, Australia|date=17 August 2010|first=Brad|last=Forrest|id=1915382|accessdate=18 February 2012|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AUNB:SGAS&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=137B3C8A1C1B4C18&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=1053B823C33F21F9}}</ref> In Australia's semi-final victory over Russia, she fouled out.<ref name=fouled-out>{{cite news|title=AAP News: WPOL:Australia v US in women's final|newspaper=AAP News|location=Australia|date=21 August 2010|id=WAAP80888188|publisher=Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire}}</ref> In May 2010, she was a member of the team that competed at the FINA World League Asia-Oceania zone held in Osaka, Japan and Tianjin, China.<ref name=female-teams-aus>{{Cite web|access-date=1 March 2012 |url=http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/copy-old-site-content-here/australian-female-teams/ |author=Australian Water Polo Inc. |title=Australian Female Teams |year=2012 |location=Sydney, Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209121012/http://www.australianwaterpolo.com.au/no_cache/copy-old-site-content-here/australian-female-teams/ |archive-date= 9 December 2012 }}</ref> In 2011, she was one of five Queensland women to compete for the Australians Stingers at the FINA World League competition held in Auckland, New Zealand.<ref name=queensland-women>{{cite news|title=Sports extra with Brent O'Neill|newspaper=City North News|location=Brisbane, Australia|date=12 May 2011|page=047}}</ref><ref name=more-qlders>{{cite news|title=Sports extra with Jacob Grams|newspaper=North West News|location=Brisbane, Australia|date=11 May 2011|page=071}}</ref> In July the same year, she was a member of the Australian Stingers that competed in the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai.<ref name=china-game>{{cite news|title=Canberra Times: SCOREBOARD|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=Canberra, Australia|date=6 July 2011|agency=Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire|id=WCTS88924540}}</ref> In preparation for this tournament, she attended a team training camp in Perth, Western Australia.<ref name=training-camp2>{{cite news|title=AAP News: WPOL:Stingers squad named for worlds|newspaper=AAP News|location=Australia|date=5 July 2011|publisher=Financial Times Limited – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire|id=WAAP88910998}}</ref> She competed in the Pan Pacific Championships in January 2012 for the Australian Barbarians.<ref name=pan-pacific>{{cite news|title=London looms as a splash and grab job – - COUNTRY SPORT|newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph|location=Sydney, Australia|date=1 January 2012|first=David|last=Packwood|page=073}}</ref> In February 2012, she was named to the final training squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and as such, will attend a training camp starting on 20 February 2012 at the Australian Institute of Sport.<ref name="named-squad"/> She was selected to compete at the 2012 Olympics. She was part of the Stingers squad that competed in a five-game test against Great Britain at the AIS in late February 2012. This was the team's first matches against Great Britain's national team in six years.<ref name=more-cuts>{{cite news|title=Stinger survivors in the swim for third Olympics|first=Jon|last=Tuxworth|newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=Canberra, Australian Capital Territory|page=19|date=21 February 2012}}</ref>
==See also== * List of Olympic medalists in water polo (women)
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Sophie Smith}} * {{Sports links}}
{{Australia women's water polo squad 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sophie}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Australian female water polo players Category:Sportswomen from Queensland Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Category:Hartwick Hawks athletes Category:Queensland University of Technology alumni Category:Water polo players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australia in water polo Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Water polo players from Brisbane Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Expatriate water polo players Category:People educated at Brisbane Girls Grammar School Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen