Water Polo at the Olympics
Water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics program since Paris in 1900 (though the tournament from the 1904 Games is not official, and there was an exhibition match in 1906). A women's water polo tournament was first introduced to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
water polo gameWaterpolo in Paris 2024
Twelve national men's teams and ten women's teams will compete, similar to previous editions..
Trivia
- Water polo was the first team sport included on the Olympic program.
- France had four teams compete in the water polo in 1900. Bronze medals were given to the losers of both semifinals and consequently France took both bronze.
- For the water polo tournament at the 1904 Games (unofficial) in Saint Louis, only teams from the USA played. The European countries did not accept the American variant of the game and the poor condition of the pool.
- Many know of the grudge polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union played at the 1956 Games, soon after the Soviets invaded Hungary, but the result? Hungary won 4-0, then went on to win the gold medal.
- Hungary have dominated Olympic water polo medals.
- The best all-time performing Water Polo player at the Olympic Games is Hungarian player Dezső Gyarmati, who won three gold medals and one silver and bronze between 1948–1964. See more on the Greatest Water Polo Players at the Olympics.
- Water polo player Paulo Radmilovic of Great Britian has won 4 Olympic gold medals, however one of these was in a swimming event.
Related Pages
- More about the sport of Water Polo
- Water Polo was an exhibition sport in 1906
- About the sporting discipline of Aquatics at the Olympics
- About Water Polo at the FINA World Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games.
- List of Olympic Sports
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