Ten nations competed in water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.
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 was the first to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments.
Zdravko "Ćiro" Kovačić was a Croatian water polo player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1948 Summer Olympics, in the 1952 Summer Olympics, and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Antal Bolvári was a Hungarian water polo player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.
László Jeney was a Hungarian water polo player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics, and 1960 Summer Olympics. He is one of eight male athletes who won four or more Olympic medals in water polo.
Kálmán Markovits was a Hungarian water polo player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics, and 1960 Summer Olympics.
Boris Nikitich Markarov was a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Mikhail Mikhaylovich Ryzhak was a Ukrainian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR. Ryzhak was part of the Soviet team which won the bronze medal in the 1956 tournament. He played one match as goalkeeper.
Valentin Prokopov was a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He became notorious for striking Hungarian player Ervin Zádor in the Blood in the Water match.
Viktor Ivanovich Ageev was a Soviet water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics, in the 1960 Summer Olympics, and in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Vyacheslav Grigorevich Kurennoy was a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Boris Abramovich Goykhman was a Soviet water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics, in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Yury Nikolaevich Grigorovsky is a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1960 Summer Olympics and in the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Petre Mshvenieradze was a Georgian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics.
Vladimir Viktorovich Semyonov was a Russian water polo player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1960 Summer Olympics, in the 1964 Summer Olympics, and in the 1968 Summer Olympics. In 1960 he was a member of the Soviet team which won the silver medal. He played five matches. Four years later he won the bronze medal with the Soviet team in the water polo competition at the 1964 Games. He played all six matches and scored four goals. At the 1968 Games he was part of the Soviet team which won again a silver medal in the Olympic water polo tournament. He played all eight matches and scored four goals.
This article presents the national team appearances in the men's Olympic water polo tournament since the inaugural official edition in 1900.
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Soviet Union men's national water polo team and the Unified Team men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
