Water polo at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Men's water polo
at the Games of the XI Olympiad
Men's water polo; at the Games of the XI Olympiad
Venue	Berlin
Dates	8–15 August
Competitors	142 from 16 nations
Medalists
	← 1932 1948 →

Last updated November 23, 2025

Final results for the water polo tournament at the 1936 Summer Olympics:^[1]^[2]

Medal summary

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Hungary (HUN)^[1] Mihály Bozsi Jenő Brandi György Bródy Olivér Halassy Kálmán Hazai Márton Homonnai György Kutasi István Molnár János Németh Miklós Sárkány Sándor Tarics	Germany (GER) Bernhard Baier Fritz Gunst Josef Hauser Alfred Kienzle Paul Klingenburg Heinrich Krug Hans Schneider Hans Schulze Gustav Schürger Helmuth Schwenn Fritz Stolze	Belgium (BEL) Gérard Blitz Albert Castelyns Pierre Coppieters Joseph De Combe Henri De Pauw Henri Disy Fernand Isselé Edmond Michiels Henri Stoelen

Results

Elimination rounds

In the first round each team in a group played each other team in the same group. The placings were determined on points. If the points were equal, then the better goal average decided. The first two teams of each group were qualified for the semi-finals, while the third and fourth placed team was eliminated.

Group 1

Rank	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Belgium (BEL)	3	2	1	0	6	4	5	X	1:1	4:3	1:0
2.	Netherlands (NED)	3	1	2	0	5	4	4	1:1	X	3:2	1:1
3.	United States (USA)	3	1	0	2	7	8	2	3:4	2:3	X	2:1
4.	Uruguay (URU)	3	0	1	2	2	4	1	0:1	1:1	1:2	X

Group 2

Rank	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Hungary (HUN)	3	3	0	26	2	6	X	10:1	4:1	12:0
2.	Great Britain (GBR)	3	2	1	13	15	4	1:10	X	4:3	8:2
3.	Yugoslavia (YUG)	3	1	2	11	8	2	1:4	3:4	X	7:0
4.	Malta (MLT)	3	0	3	2	27	0	0:12	2:8	0:7	X

Group 3

Rank	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Germany (GER)	3	3	0	27	3	6	X	8:1	6:1	13:1
2.	France (FRA)	3	2	1	12	10	4	1:8	X	3:2	8:0
3.	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	3	1	2	7	12	2	1:6	2:3	X	4:3
4.	Japan (JPN)	3	0	3	4	25	0	1:13	0:8	3:4	X

Group 4

Rank	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Austria (AUT)	3	3	0	17	1	6	X	2:1	9:0	6:0
2.	Sweden (SWE)	3	2	1	18	2	4	1:2	X	6:0	11:0
3.	Switzerland (SUI)	3	1	2	7	16	2	0:9	0:6	X	7:1
4.	Iceland (ISL)	3	0	3	1	24	0	0:6	0:11	1:7	X

Semi-finals

As in the elimination round each team in a group played each other team in the same group unless they had met in the previous round. In this case the previous result stood and was carried forward to this group. So in each group only four matches had to be played. The placings were determined on points. If the points were equal, then the better goal average decided. The first two teams of each group were qualified for the final round, while the third and fourth placed team were eliminated and took part in a consolation tournament.

The results which are carried forward from the first round are shown in italics.

Group 1

Rank	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Hungary (HUN)	3	3	0	0	21	1	6	X	3:0	8:0	10:1
2.	Belgium (BEL)	3	1	1	1	4	5	3	0:3	X	1:1	6:1
3.	Netherlands (NED)	3	0	2	1	5	13	2	0:8	1:1	X	4:4
4.	Great Britain (GBR)	3	0	1	2	6	20	1	1:10	1:6	4:4	X

Group 2

Rank	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	Pts
1.	Germany (GER)	3	3	0	15	3	6	X	8:1	3:1	4:1
2.	France (FRA)	3	2	1	7	1	4	1:8	X	4:2	2:1
3.	Austria (AUT)	3	1	2	5	8	2	1:3	2:4	X	2:1
4.	Sweden (SWE)	3	0	3	3	8	0	1:4	1:2	1:2	X

Final round

As in the rounds before each team in the final played each other team unless they had met in a previous round. In this case the previous result stood and was carried forward to the final. So in the final only four matches had to be played. The placings were determined on points. If the points were equal, then the better goal average decided.

The results which are carried forward from the previous rounds are shown in italics.

Final Group

Rank	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
	Hungary (HUN)	3	2	1	0	10	2	5	X	2:2	3:0	5:0
	Germany (GER)	3	2	1	0	14	4	5	2:2	X	4:1	8:1
	Belgium (BEL)	3	1	0	2	4	8	2	0:3	1:4	X	3:1
4.	France (FRA)	3	0	0	3	2	16	0	0:5	1:8	1:3	X

Hungary won the Olympic Championship because their goal average was better (10/2 = 5) than Germany's (14/4 = 3.5).

Group for fifth to eighth places - consolation tournament

Rank	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
5.	Netherlands (NED)	3	2	1	0	13	11	5	X	5:4	4:3	4:4
6.	Austria (AUT)	3	1	1	1	9	9	3	4:5	X	2:1	3:3
7.	Sweden (SWE)	3	1	0	2	8	8	2	3:4	1:2	X	4:2
8.	Great Britain (GBR)	3	0	2	1	9	11	2	4:4	3:3	2:4	X

Participating nations

Each country was allowed to enter a team of 11 players and they all were eligible for participation. All teams entered 11 players.

A total of 142(*) water polo players from 16 nations competed at the Berlin Games:

(*) NOTE: There are only players counted, which participated in one game at least.

Not all reserve players are known.

Summary

Place	Nation
1	Hungary (HUN)
	Mihály Bozsi (UTE) Jenő Brandi (MTK) György Bródy (III. ker TVE) Olivér Halassy (UTE) Kálmán Hazai (MTK) Márton Homonnai (MTK) György Kutasi (UTE) István Molnár (FTC) János Németh (UTE) Miklós Sárkány (III. ker TVE) Sándor Tarics (MAC)
2	Germany (GER) Bernhard Baier Fritz Gunst Josef Hauser Alfred Kienzle Paul Klingenburg Heinrich Krug Hans Schneider Hans Schulze Gustav Schürger Helmuth Schwenn Fritz Stolze
3	Belgium (BEL) Gérard Blitz Albert Castelyns Pierre Coppieters Joseph De Combe Henri De Pauw Henri Disy Fernand Isselé Edmond Michiels Henri Stoelen
4	France (FRA) André Busch (CNL) Georges Delporte (EN Tourcoing) René Joder (CN Paris) Paul Lambert (EN Tourcoing) Maurice Lefèbvre (EN Tourcoing) Henri Padou (EN Tourcoing) Roger van de Casteele (EN Tourcoing)
5	Netherlands (NED) Ru den Hamer Lex Franken Hans Maier Gé Regter Kees van Aelst Jan van Heteren Soesoe van Oostrom Soede Joop van Woerkom Herman Veenstra
6	Austria (AUT) Erwin Blasl Wilhelm Hawlik Anton Kunz Alfred Lergetporer Otto Müller Sebastian Ploner Peter Riedl Franz Schönfels Karl Seitz Karl Steinbach Franz Wenninger
7	Sweden (SWE) Göte Andersson (Stockholms KK) Bertil Berg (SoIK Hellas) Erik Holm (SoIK Hellas) Tore Lindzén (Stockholms KK) Tore Ljungqvist (SK Neptun) Åke Nauman (Stockholms KK) Gösta Persson (SK Neptun) Sven-Pelle Pettersson (SK Neptun) Runar Sandström (SK Neptun) Georg Svensson (SoIK Hellas)
8	Great Britain (GBR) Leslie Ablett Ernest Blake David Grogan William Martin David McGregor Frederick Milton Robert Mitchell Alfred North Leslie Palmer Reginald Sutton Edward Temme
9	United States (USA) Coach: Clyde Swendsen (Hollywood Athletic Club) Kenneth Beck Philip Daubenspeck Charles Finn Dixon Fiske Fred Lauer (Illinois Athletic Club) Charles McCallister (Los Angeles Athletic Club) Wally O'Connor Raymond Ruddy (New York Athletic Club) Herbert Wildman Frank C. Graham (Los Angeles Athletic Club) William E. Kelly
10	Yugoslavia (YUG) Filip Bonačić Luka Ciganović Vinko Cvjetković Miro Mihovilović Ante Roje Mirko Tarana Bogdan Tošović Dejan Dabović Ivo Đovaneli Vojko Pavičić Ivo Štakula
11	Czechoslovakia (TCH) Lešek Boubela Josef Bušek Kurt Epstein Konstantin Koutek Josef Medřický Karel Schmuck Hugo Vondřejc
12	Switzerland (SUI) Ferdinand Denzler Jean Gysel Werner Kopp Heinz Meier Robert Mermoud Benjamin Vessaz Robert Wyss Roger Zirilli
13	Uruguay (URU)^[3] Enrique Pereira (Club Neptuno) José Pescador (Guruyú Waston) Julio César Costemalle (Biguá) Maximino García (Club Neptuno) Francisco Figueroa (Club Neptuno) Hugo García (Biguá) Alberto Batignani (Club Neptuno) Jaime Castells (Club Neptuno) Nóbel Valentín (Club Neptuno) Renard Pérez (Club Neptuno)
14	Japan (JPN) Jihei Furusho Torajiro Kataoka Shigetaka Katsuhisa Yasutaro Sakagami Zenjiro Takahashi Kosei Tano Koichi Wada Takimi Wakayama
15	Iceland (ISL) Jón Ingi Guðmundsson Þórður Guðmundsson Jónas Halldórsson Þorsteinn Hjálmarsson Jón Jónsson Stefán Jónsson Magnús Pálsson Úlfar Þórðarson
16	Malta (MLT) Jack Frendo Azzopardi Joseph Demicoli Alfred Lanzon Frank Wismayer Pippo Schembri Babsie Podestá Sydney Scott Wilfred Podestá Jimmy Chetcuti

References

1 2 "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
↑ "Water Polo at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
↑ Uruguayan Swimming Federation - Historic tables https://fun.org.uy/adjuntos/TABLAS%20HISTORICAS.pdf

Sources

PDF documents in the LA84 Foundation Digital Library:
- Official Report of the 1936 Olympic Games, v.2 (download, archive) (pp. 345–356)
Water polo on the Olympedia website
- Water polo at the 1936 Summer Olympics (men's tournament)
Water polo on the Sports Reference website
- Water polo at the 1936 Summer Games (men's tournament) (archived)

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[HistoFINA_PDF-1] 1 2 "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

[SR-2] "Water Polo at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2019.

[3] Uruguayan Swimming Federation - Historic tables https://fun.org.uy/adjuntos/TABLAS%20HISTORICAS.pdf

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