Water polo at the Summer Olympics

Water polo at the Summer Olympics
Governing body	FINA
Events	2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Games
	1896; 1900; 1904; 1908; 1912; 1920; 1924; 1928; 1932; 1936; 1948; 1952; 1956; 1960; 1964; 1968; 1972; 1976; 1980; 1984; 1988; 1992; 1996; 2000; 2004; 2008; 2012; 2016; Note: demonstration sport years indicated in italics
	Medalists;

Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics program since the second games, in 1900. A women's water polo tournament was introduced for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Hungary, Italy, and the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavian teams have historically dominated the men's tournament, while Australia and the United States are the only teams to win multiple medals at the women's tournament since its introduction.

The most famous water polo match in history is probably the 1956 Summer Olympics semi-final match between Hungary and the Soviet Union, which became known as the "Blood in the Water match". As the athletes left for the games, the Hungarian revolution began, and the Soviet army crushed the uprising. The Hungarians defeated the Soviets 4–0 before the game was called off in the final minute to prevent angry Hungarians in the crowd reacting to Valentin Prokopov punching Ervin Zador's eye open.

Events[edit]

Notes: The X indicates that the tournament was held on the appropriate olympic game; The bullet (•) denotes that it was contested as a demonstration 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	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	26
Women's tournament																								X	X	X	X	X	5

Results[edit]

Men[edit]

Year	Host	Gold medal game			Bronze medal game			Number of teams
Year	Host	Gold Medalists	Score	Silver Medalists	Bronze Medalists	Score	4th place	Number of teams
1900 Details	Paris	Great Britain (Osborne Swimming Club)	7–2	Belgium (Brussels Swimming and Water Polo Club)	France (Libellule de Paris) France (Pupilles de Neptune de Lille #2)	^[1]		8
1904 Details	St. Louis	Water polo tournament was only demonstration sport			Water polo tournament was only demonstration sport
1908 Details	London	Great Britain	9–2	Belgium	Sweden	^[2]	Netherlands	4
1912 Details	Stockholm	Great Britain	8–0	Sweden	Belgium	5–4	Austria	6
1920 Details	Antwerp	Great Britain	3–2	Belgium	Sweden	5–0	United States	12
1924 Details	Paris	France	3–0	Belgium	United States	3–2	Sweden	13
1928 Details	Amsterdam	Germany	5–2	Hungary	France	8–1	Great Britain	14
1932 Details	Los Angeles	Hungary	Round-robin	Germany	United States	Round-robin	Japan	5
1936 Details	Berlin	Hungary	Round-robin	Germany	Belgium	Round-robin	France	16
1948 Details	London	Italy	Round-robin	Hungary	Netherlands	Round-robin	Belgium	18
1952 Details	Helsinki	Hungary	Round-robin	Yugoslavia	Italy	Round-robin	United States	21
1956 Details	Melbourne	Hungary	Round-robin	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union	Round-robin	Italy	10
1960 Details	Rome	Italy	Round-robin	Soviet Union	Hungary	Round-robin	Yugoslavia	16
1964 Details	Tokyo	Hungary	Round-robin	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union	Round-robin	Italy	13
1968 Details	Mexico City	Yugoslavia	13–11 (aet)	Soviet Union	Hungary	9–4	Italy	15
1972 Details	Munich	Soviet Union	Round-robin	Hungary	United States	Round-robin	West Germany	16
1976 Details	Canada	Hungary	Round-robin	Italy	Netherlands	Round-robin	Romania	12
1980 Details	Moscow	Soviet Union	Round-robin	Yugoslavia	Hungary	Round-robin	Spain	12
1984 Details	Los Angeles	Yugoslavia	Round-robin	United States	West Germany	Round-robin	Spain	12
1988 Details	Seoul	Yugoslavia	9–7	United States	Soviet Union	14–13	West Germany	12
1992 Details	Barcelona	Italy	9–8 (aet)	Spain	Unified Team	8–4	United States	12
1996 Details	Atlanta	Spain	7–5	Croatia	Italy	20–18 (aet)	Hungary	12
2000 Details	Sydney	Hungary	13–6	Russia	Yugoslavia	8–3	Spain	12
2004 Details	Athens	Hungary	8–7	Serbia and Montenegro	Russia	6–5	Greece	12
2008 Details	Beijing	Hungary	14–10	United States	Serbia	6–4	Montenegro	12
2012 Details	London	Croatia	8–6	Italy	Serbia	12–11	Montenegro	12
2016 Details	Rio de Janeiro	Serbia	11–7	Croatia	Italy	12–10	Montenegro	12^[3]

Women[edit]

Year	Host	Gold medal game			Bronze medal game			Number of teams
Year	Host	Gold Medalists	Score	Silver Medalists	Bronze Medalists	Score	4th place	Number of teams
2000 Details	Sydney	Australia	4–3	United States	Russia	4–3	Netherlands	6
2004 Details	Athens	Italy	10–9 (aet)	Greece	United States	6–5	Australia	8
2008 Details	Beijing	Netherlands	9–8	United States	Australia	9–9 (aet) (3–2) (ps)	Hungary	8
2012 Details	London	United States	8–5	Spain	Australia	13–11 (aet)	Hungary	8
2016 Details	Rio de Janeiro	United States	12–5	Italy	Russia	12–12 (7–6) (ps)	Hungary	8

Participating nations[edit]

Men[edit]

(Note: Where applicable, numbers refer to the number of teams from each country; italic number in header means demonstration tournament was held)

Nation	00	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	Games
Argentina						Y			Y	Y		Y															4
Australia									Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	16
Austria			Y					Y		Y																	3
Belgium	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y															10
Brazil				Y			Y			Y		Y		Y				Y								Y	7
Bulgaria															Y		Y										2
Canada															Y	Y		Y						Y			4
Chile								Y																			1
China																		Y	Y					Y			3
Croatia																					Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	6
Cuba														Y	Y	Y	Y			Y							5
Czechoslovakia				Y	Y	Y		Y												Y							5
East Germany														Y													1
Egypt									Y	Y		Y		Y									Y				5
France	4^[4]		Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y			Y							Y	Y						Y	11
Germany	Y					Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y			16
Great Britain	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y														Y		11
Greece				Y	Y				Y					Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	15
Hungary			Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	22
Iceland								Y																			1
India									Y	Y																	2
Iran																Y											1
Ireland					Y	Y																					2
Italy				Y	Y				Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	19
Japan							Y	Y				Y		Y	Y			Y								Y	7
Kazakhstan																						Y	Y		Y		3
Luxembourg						Y																					1
Malta						Y		Y																			2
Mexico										Y				Y	Y	Y											4
Montenegro																								Y	Y	Y	3
Netherlands		Y		Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y					16
Portugal										Y																	1
Romania										Y	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y				Y				Y		8
Russia																					Y	Y	Y				3
Serbia																								Y	Y	Y	3
Serbia and Montenegro																					Y	Y	Y				3
Singapore											Y																1
Slovakia																						Y					1
South Africa										Y		Y															2
South Korea																			Y								1
Soviet Union										Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y								9
Spain				Y	Y	Y			Y	Y				Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	17
Sweden		Y	Y	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y							Y										8
Switzerland				Y	Y	Y		Y	Y																		5
Ukraine																					Y						1
Unified Team																				Y							1
United States				Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	20
Uruguay								Y	Y																		2
Yugoslavia								Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y								12
Nations	4	4	6	12	13	14	5	16	18	21	10	16	4	16	16	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12

Women[edit]

Nation	00	04	08	12	16	Games
Australia	1st	4th	3rd	3rd	6th	5
Brazil					8th	1
Canada	5th	7th				2
China			5th	5th	7th	3
Great Britain				8th		1
Greece		2nd	8th			2
Hungary		6th	4th	4th	4th	4
Italy		1st	6th	7th	2nd	4
Kazakhstan	6th	8th				2
Netherlands	4th		1st			2
Russia	3rd	5th	7th	6th	3rd	5
Spain				2nd	5th	2
United States	2nd	3rd	2nd	1st	1st	5
Nations	6	8	8	8	8

Medal table[edit]

Men[edit]

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Hungary (HUN)	9	3	3	15
2	Serbia (SRB)	4	5	3	12
3	Great Britain (GBR)	4	0	0	4
4	Italy (ITA)	3	2	3	8
5	Russia (RUS)	2	3	4	9
6	Germany (GER)	1	2	1	4
7	Croatia (CRO)	1	2	0	3
8	Spain (ESP)	1	1	0	2
9	France (FRA)	1	0	3	4
10	Belgium (BEL)	0	4	2	6
11	United States (USA)	0	3	3	6
12	Sweden (SWE)	0	1	2	3
13	Netherlands (NED)	0	0	2	2
14	Unified Team (EUN)	0	0	1	1
Total		26	26	26	78

Women[edit]

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (USA)	2	2	1	5
2	Italy (ITA)	1	1	0	2
3	Australia (AUS)	1	0	2	3
4	Netherlands (NED)	1	0	0	1
5	Greece (GRE)	0	1	0	1
5	Spain (ESP)	0	1	0	1
7	Russia (RUS)	0	0	2	2
Total		5	5	5	15

Total[edit]

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Hungary (HUN)	9	3	3	15
2	Serbia (SRB)	4	5	3	12
3	Italy (ITA)	4	3	3	10
4	Great Britain (GBR)	4	0	0	4
5	United States (USA)	2	5	4	11
6	Russia (RUS)	2	3	6	11
7	Germany (GER)	1	2	1	4
8	Spain (ESP)	1	2	0	3
8	Croatia (CRO)	1	2	0	3
10	France (FRA)	1	0	3	4
11	Australia (AUS)	1	0	2	3
11	Netherlands (NED)	1	0	2	3
13	Belgium (BEL)	0	4	2	6
14	Sweden (SWE)	0	1	2	3
15	Greece (GRE)	0	1	0	1
16	Unified Team (EUN)	0	0	1	1
Total		30	30	30	90

References[edit]

^ There was no bronze medal match for the 1900 Games in Paris.
^ There was no bronze medal match for the 1908 Games in London. Belgium beat Netherlands in the only one first round match and beats Sweden in the only one semifinal.
^ Qualification System, fina.org
^ France had four teams compete in 1900. Bronze medals were given to the losers of both semifinals; France took both bronze.

[1] There was no bronze medal match for the 1900 Games in Paris.

[2] There was no bronze medal match for the 1908 Games in London. Belgium beat Netherlands in the only one first round match and beats Sweden in the only one semifinal.

[Qualification_System-3] Qualification System, fina.org

[1900Bronze-4] France had four teams compete in 1900. Bronze medals were given to the losers of both semifinals; France took both bronze.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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See also: Paralympic sports

Water polo at the Summer Olympics

Contents

Events[edit]

Results[edit]

Men[edit]

Women[edit]

Participating nations[edit]

Men[edit]

Women[edit]

Medal table[edit]

Men[edit]

Women[edit]

Total[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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Water polo at the Summer Olympics

Governing body	FINA
Events	2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Games
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Note: demonstration sport years indicated in italics
Medalists