Water Polo

Quick, exhilarating and not for the faint-hearted, Water Polo should offer plenty of action in the pool at London 2012.

Key facts

Venue: Olympic Park – Water Polo Arena

Dates: Sunday 29 July – Sunday 12 August
Medal events: 2
Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 women)

Water Polo developed during the 19^th century as an aquatic version of rugby, played informally in rivers and lakes. The version of the game that survives today is closer to Handball: a fast, tough and demanding sport, it’s featured on every Olympic programme since the Paris 1900 Games.

The basics

Played by teams of seven in a pool with a goal at each end (the goals are 3m wide and 90cm high), Water Polo is a thrilling spectacle. Matches are divided into four periods of eight minutes, and each team has only 30 seconds to attempt to score before the ball is returned to the opposition. Players aren’t allowed to touch the sides or the bottom of the pool during play, and may swim as much as three miles during a match.

The men’s and women’s competitions at London will both begin with group play. The teams are divided into two groups, and each team will play every other team in its group. From here, the competitions progress through quarter-final and semi-final rounds before the top two teams go head to head for the gold.

Olympic Water Polo, past and present

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Water Polo developed separately on either side of the Atlantic, with different styles of play in Europe and America. Eventually, the rules became formalised, which in turn helped the sport to gather popular momentum when 12 nations competed at the 1920 Games in Antwerp.

At London 2012, the Water Polo competition will take place at the brand new Water Polo Arena, constructed especially for the Games immediately next to the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park.

Water Polo
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