Water polo at the Summer Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Water polo at the Summer Olympics |
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Governing body | FINA |
Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
Games | |
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Overall statistics (men • women) Champions (men • women) Team appearances (men • women) Player appearances (men • women) Top goalscorers (men • women) Goalkeepers (men • women) Flag bearers and oath takers Venues |
Water polo is an exciting team sport played in the water. It has been a part of the Summer Olympic Games since 1900. For a long time, only men's teams competed. But in 2000, women's water polo was added to the Olympics too!
The country with the most success in men's water polo is Hungary. For women's water polo, the United States has won the most gold medals. Interestingly, Italy is the only country that has won gold in both the men's and women's water polo tournaments.
Contents
History of Olympic Water Polo
Water polo started as a team sport in England and Scotland in the mid-1800s. It quickly became popular. Men's water polo has been in almost every Summer Olympic Games since the very beginning, except for 1896. Women's water polo joined the Olympics in 2000.
Early Games
Men's water polo was one of the first team sports at the modern Olympic Games in 1900. Seven teams from four European countries competed. The team from Great Britain won the first gold medal.
In the 1904 Summer Olympics, only three club teams from the United States played. A German team wanted to join, but they couldn't because their players were not all from the same club. The games took place in a pond in Forest Park. At first, this event was not officially recognized. But in 2021, it was officially added to the 1904 Olympic program. Water polo was not played in the 1906 Olympics.
From 1908 to 1920, the Great Britain men's national water polo team was amazing! They won three gold medals in a row. This was the first time any water polo team had such a winning streak at the Olympics.
Hungary's Strong Teams
The Hungary men's national water polo team has played in 22 out of 27 Olympic tournaments. They have won a total of fifteen Olympic medals, including nine gold medals! From 1928 to 1980, Hungarian teams won medals in twelve Olympics in a row. Then, from 2000 to 2008, they won three more gold medals in a row. This made them the second team to have an Olympic winning streak in water polo.
The "Blood in the Water" Match
One of the most famous water polo matches ever is called the Blood in the Water match. It happened at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. It was a semi-final game between Hungary and the Soviet Union.
This match was played on December 6, 1956. Just before the games, the Hungarian revolution had started. The Soviet army had stopped the uprising. This made the game very intense. The match was rough and violent. Hungary was winning 4–0 when the game was stopped in the last minute. This was to prevent angry Hungarian fans from reacting to a Soviet player punching Hungarian player Ervin Zádor. Pictures of Zádor's injuries were seen all over the world. This is how the match got its famous name.
The Hungarian team went on to win the gold medal. They beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in the final game.
Women's Water Polo Joins the Olympics
Women's water polo became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Six countries competed in the first women's tournament. The home team, Australia, won the gold medal. They beat the United States in the final.
From 2012 to 2021, the United States women's team won three gold medals in a row. This made them the first women's water polo team to have an Olympic winning streak.
Where Water Polo is Played
Water polo is now popular in many countries around the world. It is especially big in Europe, including Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Spain. It is also popular in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.
As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, 51 countries from six continents have sent their water polo teams to the Olympic Games. Men's water polo teams from Europe have won all 27 official tournaments. Women's teams from Europe, North America, and Oceania have won all six gold medals. Teams from Africa, Asia, and South America have not yet won an Olympic medal.
Olympic Water Polo Venues
Many different places have hosted water polo at the Summer Olympics. So far, 34 venues have been used or will be used.
The first water polo competitions in 1900 were held in the Seine River in Paris. In 1904, the events took place in Forest Park in St. Louis.
The first time water polo was played somewhere other than a river or lake was at the 1908 London Olympics. It wasn't until the 1920 Olympics that a special place was made just for water sports. The 1948 Games were the first where water polo was played both indoors and in more than one location. The first time a water polo venue was completely separate from other water sports venues was at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The Water Polo Arena for the 2012 London Olympics was the first venue built just for water polo at the Olympics. It was taken down after the games.
Paris 1900: Seine, Paris
St. Louis 1904: Forest Park, St. Louis
London 1908: White City Stadium, White City
Stockholm 1912: Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, Stockholm
Antwerp 1920: Stade Nautique d'Antwerp, Antwerp
Paris 1924: Piscine des Tourelles, Paris
Amsterdam 1928: Olympic Sports Park Swim Stadium, Amsterdam
Los Angeles 1932: Swimming Stadium, Los Angeles
Berlin 1936: Olympic Swimming Stadium, Berlin
London 1948: Empire Pool (final), Wembley; and Finchley Lido, North Finchley
Helsinki 1952: Swimming Stadium, Helsinki
Melbourne 1956: Swimming/Diving Stadium, Melbourne
Rome 1960: Piscina delle Rose and Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto (final), both in Rome
Tokyo 1964: Tokyo Metropolitan Indoor Swimming Pool, Tokyo
Mexico City 1968: Francisco Márquez Olympic Pool (final) and University City Swimming Pool, both in Mexico City
Munich 1972: Dantebad and Schwimmhalle (final), both in Munich
Montreal 1976: Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard and Olympic Pool (final), both in Montreal
Moscow 1980: Swimming Pool - Moscow and Swimming Pool - Olimpiysky (final), both in Moscow
Los Angeles 1984: Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool, Malibu, California
Seoul 1988: Jamsil Indoor Swimming Pool, Seoul
Barcelona 1992: Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc and Piscines Bernat Picornell (finals), both in Barcelona
Atlanta 1996: Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta
Sydney 2000: Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre, Ryde; and Sydney International Aquatic Centre, Sydney
Athens 2004: Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre, Athens
Beijing 2008: Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing
London 2012: Water Polo Arena, London
Rio de Janeiro 2016: Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre and Olympic Aquatics Stadium (finals), Rio de Janeiro
Tokyo 2020: Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo
Paris 2024: Paris Aquatics Centre (prelims phase) and Paris La Défense Arena (final phase)
Los Angeles 2028: Long Beach Waterfront
Brisbane 2032: Sleeman Centre
Olympic Water Polo Events
Water polo has been played at the Olympics for many years.
- Notes
- The X means the tournament was an official Olympic medal sport.
- The bullet (•) means it was an unofficial sport.
Event | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Games |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men's tournament | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 29 | |
Women's tournament | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
How Teams Qualify and Play
Getting to the Olympics
Teams must qualify to play water polo at the Olympics. Since 2012, there are five main ways teams can qualify:
- The country hosting the Olympics automatically gets a spot.
- The top team from the FINA Water Polo World League can qualify.
- Up to three top teams from the World Aquatics Championships can qualify.
- The champions from five different continental tournaments (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania) can qualify.
- The last few spots are given out at a special World Qualification Tournament. Here, the best teams that haven't qualified yet compete for the remaining places.
Game Rules and Format
A water polo match has four quarters, each lasting eight minutes. If the score is tied after these four quarters, the teams have a penalty shootout to decide the winner. This involves 5 rounds, with extra rounds if it's still tied.
For the 2020 Olympics (which happened in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), both men's and women's tournaments followed a specific format:
- Group Stage: Teams are put into two groups. Each team plays every other team in their group once.
- Teams get 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
- Knockout Stage: The top four teams from each group move on to this stage.
- This is a single-elimination tournament, meaning if you lose, you're out. It includes quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the matches for the gold and bronze medals.
Number of Players
In an Olympic water polo match, each team has 7 players in the pool at one time. For the whole tournament, teams can have a certain number of players on their roster. This number has changed a bit over the years. For the 2020 Olympics, both men's and women's teams could have 13 players on their team roster.
Men's Tournament Results
This table shows the winners of the men's water polo tournament at the Olympics.
# | Year | Hosts | Gold medal game | Bronze medal game | Number of teams | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Score | Silver | Bronze | Score | 4th place | |||||||
1 | 1900 Details |
![]() Paris |
![]() Great Britain (Mixed team) (Osborne Swimming Club) |
7–2 | ![]() Belgium (Brussels Swimming and Water Polo Club) |
![]() France (Mixed team) (Libellule de Paris) ![]() France (Pupilles de Neptune de Lille #2) |
7 | |||||
2 | 1904 Details |
![]() St. Louis |
Water polo was an unofficial sport | Water polo was an unofficial sport | ||||||||
3 | 1908 Details |
![]() London |
![]() Great Britain |
9–2 | ![]() Belgium |
![]() Sweden |
![]() Netherlands |
4 | ||||
4 | 1912 Details |
![]() Stockholm |
![]() Great Britain |
8–0 | ![]() Sweden |
![]() Belgium |
5–4 | ![]() Austria |
6 | |||
5 | 1920 Details |
![]() Antwerp |
![]() Great Britain |
3–2 | ![]() Belgium |
![]() Sweden |
5–0 | ![]() United States |
12 | |||
6 | 1924 Details |
![]() Paris |
![]() France |
3–0 | ![]() Belgium |
![]() United States |
3–2 | ![]() Sweden |
13 | |||
7 | 1928 Details |
![]() Amsterdam |
![]() Germany |
5–2 | ![]() Hungary |
![]() France |
8–1 | ![]() Great Britain |
14 | |||
8 | 1932 Details |
![]() Los Angeles |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Germany |
![]() United States |
Round-robin | ![]() Japan |
5 | |||
9 | 1936 Details |
![]() Berlin |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Germany |
![]() Belgium |
Round-robin | ![]() France |
16 | |||
10 | 1948 Details |
![]() London |
![]() Italy |
Round-robin | ![]() Hungary |
![]() Netherlands |
Round-robin | ![]() Belgium |
18 | |||
11 | 1952 Details |
![]() Helsinki |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Yugoslavia |
![]() Italy |
Round-robin | ![]() United States |
21 | |||
12 | 1956 Details |
![]() Melbourne |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Yugoslavia |
![]() Soviet Union |
Round-robin | ![]() Italy |
10 | |||
13 | 1960 Details |
![]() Rome |
![]() Italy |
Round-robin | ![]() Soviet Union |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Yugoslavia |
16 | |||
14 | 1964 Details |
![]() Tokyo |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Yugoslavia |
![]() Soviet Union |
Round-robin | ![]() Italy |
13 | |||
15 | 1968 Details |
![]() Mexico City |
![]() Yugoslavia |
13–11 (aet) | ![]() Soviet Union |
![]() Hungary |
9–4 | ![]() Italy |
15 | |||
16 | 1972 Details |
![]() Munich |
![]() Soviet Union |
Round-robin | ![]() Hungary |
![]() United States |
Round-robin | ![]() West Germany |
16 | |||
17 | 1976 Details |
![]() Montreal |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Italy |
![]() Netherlands |
Round-robin | ![]() Romania |
12 | |||
18 | 1980 Details |
![]() Moscow |
![]() Soviet Union |
Round-robin | ![]() Yugoslavia |
![]() Hungary |
Round-robin | ![]() Spain |
12 | |||
19 | 1984 Details |
![]() Los Angeles |
![]() Yugoslavia |
Round-robin | ![]() United States |
![]() West Germany |
Round-robin | ![]() Spain |
12 | |||
20 | 1988 Details |
![]() Seoul |
![]() Yugoslavia |
9–7 (aet) | ![]() United States |
![]() Soviet Union |
14–13 | ![]() West Germany |
12 | |||
21 | 1992 Details |
![]() Barcelona |
![]() Italy |
9–8 (aet) | ![]() Spain |
![]() Unified Team |
8–4 | ![]() United States |
12 | |||
22 | 1996 Details |
![]() Atlanta |
![]() Spain |
7–5 | ![]() Croatia |
![]() Italy |
20–18 (aet) | ![]() Hungary |
12 | |||
23 | 2000 Details |
![]() Sydney |
![]() Hungary |
13–6 | ![]() Russia |
![]() Yugoslavia |
8–3 | ![]() Spain |
12 | |||
24 | 2004 Details |
![]() Athens |
![]() Hungary |
8–7 | ![]() Serbia and Montenegro |
![]() Russia |
6–5 | ![]() Greece |
12 | |||
25 | 2008 Details |
![]() Beijing |
![]() Hungary |
14–10 | ![]() United States |
![]() Serbia |
6–4 | ![]() Montenegro |
12 | |||
26 | 2012 Details |
![]() London |
![]() Croatia |
8–6 | ![]() Italy |
![]() Serbia |
12–11 | ![]() Montenegro |
12 | |||
27 | 2016 Details |
![]() Rio |
![]() Serbia |
11–7 | ![]() Croatia |
![]() Italy |
12–10 | ![]() Montenegro |
12 | |||
28 | 2020 Details |
![]() Tokyo |
![]() Serbia |
13–10 | ![]() Greece |
![]() Hungary |
9–5 | ![]() Spain |
12 | |||
29 | 2024 Details |
![]() Paris |
12 |
Women's Tournament Results
This table shows the winners of the women's water polo tournament at the Olympics.
# | Year | Hosts | Gold medal game | Bronze medal game | Number of teams | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Score | Silver | Bronze | Score | 4th place | |||||||
1 | 2000 Details |
![]() Sydney |
![]() Australia |
4–3 | ![]() United States |
![]() Russia |
4–3 | ![]() Netherlands |
6 | |||
2 | 2004 Details |
![]() Athens |
![]() Italy |
10–9 (aet) | ![]() Greece |
![]() United States |
6–5 | ![]() Australia |
8 | |||
3 | 2008 Details |
![]() Beijing |
![]() Netherlands |
9–8 | ![]() United States |
![]() Australia |
9–9 (aet) (3–2) (ps) |
![]() Hungary |
8 | |||
4 | 2012 Details |
![]() London |
![]() United States |
8–5 | ![]() Spain |
![]() Australia |
13–11 (aet) | ![]() Hungary |
8 | |||
5 | 2016 Details |
![]() Rio |
![]() United States |
12–5 | ![]() Italy |
![]() Russia |
12–12 (7–6) (ps) |
![]() Hungary |
8 | |||
6 | 2020 Details |
![]() Tokyo |
![]() United States |
14–5 | ![]() Spain |
![]() Hungary |
11–9 | ![]() ROC |
10 | |||
7 | 2024 Details |
![]() Paris |
10 |
Overall Medal Count
This table shows which countries have won the most medals in Olympic water polo. It's sorted by gold, then silver, then bronze medals. The information is up to December 31, 2021.
Remember, Italy is the only country to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments at the Summer Olympics. The Italian men's team won gold in 1948, 1960, and 1992. The women's team won gold in 2004.
- Legend
- NOC◊ – A country that won medals in both men's and women's tournaments.
- NOC† – A country that no longer exists (like the Soviet Union).
Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
9 | 3 | 5 | 17 |
2 | ![]() |
4 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
3 | ![]() |
4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
4 | ![]() |
3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
5 | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
6 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
7 | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
8 | ![]() |
1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
9 | ![]() |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
11 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
14 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
15 | ![]() |
0 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
16 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
17 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
18 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
19 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
20 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (21 entries) | 34 | 34 | 35 | 103 |
Countries Winning Two Medals in One Olympics
As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, four countries have won two water polo medals in the same Olympic Games (one for men's and one for women's).
- Legend
- – The host country for that Olympics.
Year | Men's tournament | Women's tournament | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Silver | Bronze | Gold | Silver | Bronze | ||
2000 | ![]() |
![]() |
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2004 | |||||||
2008 | ![]() |
![]() |
|||||
2012 | |||||||
2016 | ![]() |
![]() |
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2020 | ![]() |
![]() |
Water Polo Athletes at Ceremonies
Flag Bearers
Some water polo players have had the special honor of carrying their country's flag at the opening or closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, thirty water polo players from six continents have been flag bearers. Three of these flag bearers also won the water polo tournament with their team!
Charles Smith from Great Britain was the first water polo player to be a flag bearer at the Olympics.
Manuel Estiarte from Spain, who played in six Olympics, carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
After winning gold in the women's tournament, Carmela Allucci, the captain of the Italian women's water polo team, carried Italy's flag at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. She was the first female water polo player to have this honor.
- Legend
- 2008 O – Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics
- 2012 C – Closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
- – The host country.
- Flag bearer – A female flag bearer.
- Flag bearer‡ – A flag bearer who won the tournament with their team.
# | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Period (age of first/last) |
Medals | Ref | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | G | S | B | T | |||||||||||
1 | 1912 O | ![]() |
Charles Smith‡ | 1879 | 33 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
![]() |
GK | 1908 | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | 16 years (29/45) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
2 | 1920 O | ![]() |
Victor Boin | 1886 | 34 | ![]() |
FP | 1908 | 1912 | 4 years (22/26) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
3 | 1924 O | ![]() |
Arthur Hunt | 1886 | 37 | ![]() |
FP | 1924 | 0 years (37/37) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
4 | 1928 O | ![]() |
Jean Thorailler | 1888 | 40 | ![]() |
GK | 1912 | 1920 | 8 years (24/32) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
5 | 1948 O | ![]() |
Les McKay | 1917 | 31 | ![]() |
FP | 1948 | 0 years (31/31) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
6 | ![]() |
Božo Grkinić | 1913 | 34 | ![]() |
FP | 1948 | 0 years (34/34) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
7 | 1952 O | ![]() |
Ahmed Fouad Nessim | 1924 | 27 | ![]() |
GK | 1948 | 1952 | 4 years (23/27) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
8 | 1956 O | ![]() |
Lionel Chee | 1931 | 25 | ![]() |
FP | 1956 | 0 years (25/25) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Zdravko-Ćiro Kovačić | 1925 | 31 | ![]() |
GK | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 8 years (23/31) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
10 | 1968 O | ![]() |
João Gonçalves | 1934 | 33 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 8 years (25/33) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
11 | ![]() |
Fred van Dorp | 1938 | 30 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 8 years (21/30) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
11 | 1968 C | ![]() |
Fred van Dorp | 1938 | 30 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 8 years (21/30) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
12 | 1972 O | ![]() |
Mirko Sandić | 1942 | 30 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 12 years (18/30) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||
13 | 1976 C | ![]() |
Evert Kroon | 1946 | 29 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
![]() |
GK | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 8 years (22/29) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
14 | 1980 O | ![]() |
István Szívós Sr. | 1920 | 59 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 8 years (27/36) |
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||||
15 | 1984 O | ![]() |
Ton Buunk | 1952 | 31 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 12 years (19/31) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
16 | 1988 C | ![]() |
Terry Schroeder | 1958 | 29 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 8 years (25/33) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||
17 | 1996 O | ![]() |
Perica Bukić | 1966 | 30 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1984 | 1988 | 12 years (18/30) |
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |||||
![]() |
FP | 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||
18 | ![]() |
Igor Milanović | 1965 | 30 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1984 | 1988 | 12 years (18/30) |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
![]() |
FP | 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||
19 | 2000 O | ![]() |
Manuel Estiarte | 1961 | 38 | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 20 years (18/38) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
20 | 2004 O | ![]() |
Dubravko Šimenc | 1966 | 37 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1988 | 16 years (21/37) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
![]() |
FP | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | ||||||||||||||||
21 | 2004 C | ![]() |
Carmela Allucci‡ | 1970 | 34 | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2004 | 0 years (34/34) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
22 | 2008 O | ![]() |
Veljko Uskoković | 1971 | 37 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1996 | 2000 | 12 years (25/37) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
![]() |
FP | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
22 | 2008 C | ![]() |
Veljko Uskoković | 1971 | 37 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
![]() |
FP | 1996 | 2000 | 12 years (25/37) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
![]() |
FP | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
23 | 2012 O | ![]() |
Péter Biros | 1976 | 36 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 12 years (24/36) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||
24 | 2016 O | ![]() |
Josip Pavić | 1982 | 34 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
![]() |
GK | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 8 years (26/34) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||
25 | 2016 C | ![]() |
Predrag Jokić | 1983 | 33 | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2004 | 12 years (21/33) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
![]() |
FP | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
26 | 2020 O | ![]() |
Filip Filipovi㇠| 1987 | 34 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 13 years (21/34) |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |||
27 | ![]() |
Draško Brguljan | 1984 | 36 | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 13 years (23/36) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
28 | 2020 C | ![]() |
Ioannis Fountoulis | 1988 | 33 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 9 years (24/33) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
29 | ![]() |
Andro Bušlje | 1986 | 35 | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 13 years (22/35) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||
30 | ![]() |
Dušan Matković | 1999 | 22 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
![]() |
FP | 2020 | 0 years (22/22) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
# | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Period (age of first/last) |
G | S | B | T | Ref |
Water polo tournaments | Medals |
Oath Takers
Some athletes and officials from the host countries are chosen to take the Olympic Oath at the opening ceremonies. This is a promise to compete fairly and respect the rules. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, four people from water polo have had this honor.
Victor Boin from Belgium was an athlete who took the very first Olympic Oath at the 1920 Games in Antwerp.
Eugeni Asensio, a water polo referee from Spain, took the Officials' Oath at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Another water polo referee, Australian Peter Kerr, took the Officials' Oath at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Asumi Tsuzaki from Japan took the Officials' Oath at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She was the first female water polo referee to be given this honor.
- Legend
- – The host country.
- Oath taker – A female oath taker.
- Oath taker‡ – An oath taker who won the tournament with their team.
# | Year | Oath | Country | Oath taker | Birth | Age | Water polo tournament | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1920 | Athletes' Oath | ![]() |
Victor Boin | 1886 | 34 | 1908 | 1912 | As player | |
2 | 1992 | Officials' Oath | ![]() |
Eugeni Asensio | 1992 | As referee (official) | ||||
3 | 2000 | Officials' Oath | ![]() |
Peter Kerr | 1996 | 2000 | As referee (official) | |||
4 | 2020 | Officials' Oath | ![]() |
Asumi Tsuzaki | 1989 | 32 | 2020 | As referee (official) |
More About Water Polo
- Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
- FINA Water Polo World Rankings
- List of water polo world medalists
- Major achievements in water polo by nation