| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Water Polo Australia |
| National team(s) | Australia |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
Water polo in Australia is governed by Water Polo Australia and its state based Water polo associations.
Behind Great Britain, Australia was the second nation in the world to play the game of water polo. The first known Australian match occurred at St Kilda Sea Baths, Melbourne on 3 March 1879 and was demonstrated by Professor Fred Cavill, who had only just emigrated from England. [1] Australian men's teams have competed at every Olympic Games Water Polo Tournament since 1948, excepting 1968 (controversially not nominated by the AOC) and 1996 (did not qualify). Australia were the inaugural Olympic gold medallists at the first Women's Olympic Games Water Polo Tournament in Sydney (2000), and have since won two Olympic bronze medals at Beijing (2008) and London (2012).
The Australian National Water Polo League is the national Water polo competition in Australia. It is organised by Water Polo Australia.
The Australia men's national water polo team and Australia women's national water polo team represent Australia in international competitions.
The Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame was established by Water Polo Australia in 2009 to honor players, coaches and officials who have contributed greatly to water polo in Australia. [2]
Australia competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece from 13 to 29 August 2004. Australian athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era. The Australian Olympic Committee sent a total of 470 athletes to the Games to compete in 29 sports.
Brenda Villa is an accomplished American water polo player. She is the most decorated athlete in the world of women’s water polo. Villa was named Female Water Polo Player of the Decade for 2000-2009 by the FINA Aquatics World Magazine. She is one of four female players who competed in water polo at four Olympics; and one of two female athletes who won four Olympic medals in water polo. She is a leading goalscorer in Olympic water polo history, with 31 goals. In 2018, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
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.
Wolf Wigo is an American water polo player and water polo coach. He has played competitive water polo at the national level since age 13. Wigo was a four-year All-America collegiate water polo player and led his Stanford University team to two consecutive NCAA Championships in 1993 and 1994. A member of the U.S. National Polo Team since 1993, Wigo competed in the Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, and 2004. Since 2005, he has been the head coach of the UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) men's water polo program. In 2008 he began coaching the UCSB women's water polo team.
Natalie Golda is a former American water polo player and currently the head coach of the newly formed Fresno State Bulldogs water polo team to begin competition in 2018. Considered one of the greatest women's water polo players of all time, her senior leadership helped guide the 2005 UCLA Bruins to their seventh national championship. In May 2005 Golda received the Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the best player in women's collegiate water polo. She was also a member of the US Water Polo Team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2015, she was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
Kelly Kristen Rulon is an American water polo player. She won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the water polo competition. She is also a bronze medalist from the 2004 Summer Olympics. Her position is driver.
Sport in Montenegro revolves mostly around team sports, such as water polo, football, basketball, handball, and volleyball. Other sports involved are boxing, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, athletics, table tennis, and chess.
The history of water polo as a team sport began in mid 19th-century England and Scotland, where water sports were a feature of county fairs and festivals.
Mirko Sandić was a Serbian water polo player who led Yugoslav teams to a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics. He also competed in the 1960 and 1972 Olympics where his teams placed fourth and fifth, respectively. He was given the honour to carry the national flag of Yugoslavia at the opening ceremony of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, becoming the twelfth water polo player to be a flag bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. Between 1958 and 1974 Sandić played more than 235 matches for the Yugoslav national team contributing 250 goals.
Sport in Serbia plays an important role, and the country has a strong sporting history. The most popular sports in Serbia are football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, water polo and handball.
The Croatia men's national water polo team represents Croatia in international water polo competitions and is controlled by the Croatian Water Polo Federation. They have won gold medals in the Olympics, World and European Championships, FINA World League and Mediterranean Games, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. Overall Croatia won 28 medals at competitions.
Water Polo Australia (WPA), formerly Australian Water Polo (AWP), is the national governing body for Water polo in Australia. They are responsible for administration of the national men's, women's, and junior teams, the Australian National Water Polo League, and development of the sport in Australia.
The Australian Water Polo League is the premier Australian domestic water polo competition. The men's league began in 1990 and the women's league started in 2004. Ten clubs compete in the league, each fielding a women's and a men's team. As of 2021 five clubs are based in Sydney and one each in Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Newcastle and Perth.
Tamás Faragó is a former Hungarian water polo player. He competed in all major international tournaments between 1970 and 1980 and won three medals at the Summer Olympics and five at the world and European championships. He was the top goalscorer at the 1976 Olympics, with 22 goals. After retiring from competitions he became a water polo coach, guiding Hungary's junior and women's national teams. In 1993 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and in 2005 he was voted the Hungarian coach of the year.
Eraldo Pizzo is an Italian water polo player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics, in the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the 1968 Summer Olympics, and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Charles Turner is an Australian water polo player. He represented Australia as a member of the Australia men's national water polo team at three Olympics: 1976 Summer Olympics, 1980 Summer Olympics and 1984 Summer Olympics and Head Coach of the Australian team at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He later became a sport administrator working for the New South Wales Institute of Sport.
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Australia women's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Hungary men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
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