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Filip Filipović (water polo) facts for kids

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Filip Filipović
Filip Filipović Rio 2016.jpg
Filipović at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Born (1987-05-02) 2 May 1987 (age 38)
Belgrade, SR Serbia,
SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality Serbian
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 101 kg (223 lb)
Position Right Driv
Handedness Left
Senior clubs
Years Team
2002–2009
Partizan
2009–2012
Pro Recco
2012–2014
Radnički Kragujevac
2014–2020
Pro Recco
2020–2021
Szolnoki Vízilabda
2021–2023
Olympiacos
2023–2024
Novi Beograd
Medal record
Men's water polo
Representing  Serbia
Olympic Games
Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Gold 2020 Tokyo Team
Bronze 2008 Beijing Team
Bronze 2012 London Team
World Championship
Gold 2009 Rome Team
Gold 2015 Kazan Team
Silver 2011 Shanghai Team
Bronze 2017 Budapest Team
European Championship
Gold 2006 Belgrade
Gold 2012 Eindhoven
Gold 2014 Budapest
Gold 2016 Belgrade
Gold 2018 Barcelona
Silver 2008 Málaga
Bronze 2010 Zagreb
FINA World Cup
Gold 2010 Oradea
Bronze 2018 Berlin
FINA World League
Gold 2007 Berlin
Gold 2008 Genova
Gold 2010 Niš
Gold 2011 Firenze
Gold 2013 Chelyabinsk
Gold 2014 Dubai
Gold 2015 Bergamo
Gold 2016 Huizhou
Gold 2017 Ruza
Gold 2019 Belgrade
Bronze 2009 Podgorica
Mediterranean Games
Gold 2009 Pescara
Gold 2018 Tarragona
Representing  Serbia and Montenegro
European Championship
Gold 2003 Kranj
FINA World Cup
Gold 2006 Budapest
FINA World League
Gold 2005 Belgrade
Gold 2006 Athens
Mediterranean Games
Bronze 2005 Almeria

Filip Filipović (Serbian Cyrillic: Филип Филиповић; born May 2, 1987) is a Serbian former professional water polo player. Many people consider him one of the greatest water polo players ever. He was a key member of the Serbia men's national water polo team.

Filipović helped his national team win bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He then led them to gold medals in 2016 and 2020. He also won world titles in 2009 and 2015. His team also won European titles in 2003, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2011 World Championships. The FINA magazine voted him the "World Player of the Year" four times: in 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2021. He played for Pro Recco in Italy, winning many important club titles. Filipović officially retired from playing in April 2024.

Filipović had the special honor of carrying the Serbian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This made him one of the few water polo players to be a flag bearer at the Olympic Games.

Playing for Clubs

Filip Filipović played for several top water polo clubs during his career. He started with Partizan in Serbia. Later, he moved to Pro Recco in Italy, which is one of the best clubs in the world.

Pro Recco Highlights

Filipović joined Pro Recco in 2009. In February 2010, he and his teammate Udovičić took part in a charity match in Soria, Italy. They played to help victims of an earthquake in Haiti. All the money raised from selling player caps went to this good cause.

In 2011, it was announced that Pro Recco, with Filipović, would join the Adriatic Water polo League. This league included teams from different countries. During the 2011–12 season, Filipović scored many goals for Pro Recco. He helped his team win games in both the Adriatic League and the Euroleague. He scored five goals in one game against Spartak Volgograd. He also scored five goals in another game against Mornar BS.

Pro Recco won the LEN Champions League in 2010 and 2012 with Filipović. They also won the LEN Super Cup multiple times. These are some of the biggest club competitions in water polo.

Playing for His Country

Filipović was a key player for the Serbian national team. He scored his first two goals at the European Championship in January 2012 against Germany. Serbia won that game 13–12.

In the same tournament, he scored two goals in a big win against rivals Croatia. He helped Serbia win the 2012 European Championship. He scored a goal in the final game against Montenegro, which Serbia won 9–8. This was his third gold medal at the European Championships.

Filipović was one of the top goal scorers at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He scored 19 goals in that tournament.

Achievements and Awards

Filipović played over 381 games for the Serbia and Montenegro / Serbia national team. He scored more than 677 goals, which is a huge number! He won 35 medals with his national team.

Team Honours

  • Partizan

* Serbian Championship: 2007, 2008, 2009 * Serbian Cup: 2007, 2008, 2009

  • Pro Recco

* LEN Champions League: 2010, 2012, 2015 * LEN Super Cup: 2010, 2012, 2015 * Adriatic League: 2012 * Italian Championship (Serie A1): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 * Italian Cup (Coppa Italia): 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

  • Radnički Kragujevac

* LEN Euro Cup: 2013

  • Szolnok Vízilabda

* LEN Euro Cup: 2021 * Hungarian Championship: 2021

  • Olympiacos

* Greek Championship: 2022, 2023 * Greek Cup: 2022, 2023

  • Novi Beograd

* Adriatic League: 2024 * Serbian Cup: 2024

Individual Awards

Filipović has received many individual awards for his amazing skills:

  • FINA "World Player of the Year" award: 2009, 2011, 2014, 2021
  • Swimming World Magazine's "World Player of the Year" award: 2014, 2016, 2021
  • LEN "European Player of the Year" award: 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021
  • Sportsman of The Year by the Serbian Olympic Committee: 2016, 2021
  • Serbian Water Polo Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
  • World Championship Top Scorer: 2009 Rome
  • World Championship MVP: 2011 Shanghai
  • World League MVP: 2019 Belgrade
  • LEN Champions League MVP: 2014, 2016, 2019
  • Summer Olympics MVP: 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2020 Tokyo
  • Summer Olympics Top Scorer: 2016 Rio de Janeiro
  • European Championship MVP: 2018 Barcelona
  • Adriatic League MVP: 2011–12
  • Hungarian Championship MVP: 2021
  • Greek Championship MVP: 2022
  • Serbian Championship MVP: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014
  • Italian Championship (Serie A1) MVP: 2011, 2016, 2018

Personal Life

Filip Filipović is married to Sanja. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Filip Filipović para niños

  • Serbia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
  • List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
  • List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
  • List of men's Olympic water polo tournament top goalscorers
  • List of flag bearers for Serbia at the Olympics
  • List of world champions in men's water polo
  • List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo
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