The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, in 1900. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on 14 May and ended on 28 October.
A water polo tournament was held on the Seine on 11 and 12 August 1900 as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics. Eight teams from four countries, all European, entered the event, although only seven ended up playing. The Osborne Swimming Club of Manchester, England, which has been listed with two rosters that are nearly entirely different, became the first Olympic water polo champions by defeating the Brussels Swimming and Water Polo Club of Belgium. Third place went to the two French-based semi-finalists, Libellule de Paris and Pupilles de Neptune de Lille, the latter of whom entered two teams, but merged them together after the first round.
Maurice Blitz was a Belgian Olympic water polo player during the 1920s. He was born in Paris.
France was the host of the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. France was one of many nations that had competed in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Greece and had returned to compete at the 1900 Games.
Belgium competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the first appearance of the European nation. Belgium was represented in France by 78 athletes, all of them male, who competed in 11 disciplines. They comprised 95 entries in 28 events.
Germany competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
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 has been the most successful country in men's tournament, while the United States is the only team to win multiple times at the women's tournament since its introduction. Italy is the first and only country to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments.
Otto Wahle was an Austrian swimmer who took part in two Summer Olympic Games and won a total of three medals.. Wahle coached the men's US swim team at the 1912 Olympics, and the men's US water polo team at the 1920 and 1924 Olympics.
John Arthur Jarvis was an English competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in three Olympic Games, and was a well-known amateur athlete of the late 19th century and early 20th century. He participated in Swimming at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won two gold medals in the 1000-metre and the 4000-metre freestyle events. He also won a gold medal in the water polo tournament.
Fernand Feyearts was a Belgian swimmer and water polo player who competed for Belgium at the 1900 Summer Olympics and the 1908 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in each.
George Wilkinson was an English water polo player who competed at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics representing Great Britain. He was in the Hyde Seal team when he won the Olympics. Hyde Seal are a Manchester team. He was part of the British water polo team and won two gold medals. The International Olympic Committee credits him with a third gold medal from the 1900 Games, but this is incorrect as he was in England during the tournament.
Thomas William Burgess was the second person to successfully complete a swim of the English Channel after Matthew Webb. He performed the feat on 6 September 1911, on his 16th attempt. British by nationality, Burgess spent most of his life in France, and won a bronze medal with the French water polo team at the 1900 Olympics.
Louis Martin was a French water polo player and swimmer. He won three bronze medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics, in water polo, 4000 m freestyle and 200 m team swimming, and finished ninth and fifth in the 200 m and 1000 m freestyle swimming events, respectively.
Michael Victor Alexander Lindberg was a Fijian-born New Zealander who, according to some sources, competed in water polo at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. Poor record keeping is to blame, but also the fact that many of the records that were kept had his name misspelled.
Victor De Behr was a Belgian athlete whose main event was water polo.
Georges Romas was a Belgian athlete whose main event was water polo.
Guillaume Séron was a Belgian athlete whose main event was the water polo.
A.R. Upton was a Belgian athlete whose main event was the water polo.
