This article contains lists of various statistics on the United States men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics. The lists are updated as of March 30, 2020.
Abbreviations
Basics
Men's water polo tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1900. The United States has participated in 22 of 27 tournaments. The United States team is the only non-European squad to win medals in the men's Olympic water polo tournament.
Best results: 1st place ( Gold medal): 1904 St. Louis (demonstration event) 2nd place ( Silver medal): 1904 St. Louis (demonstration event) 1984 Los Angeles 1988 Seoul 2008 Beijing 3rd place ( Bronze medal): 1904 St. Louis (demonstration event) 1924 Paris 1932 Los Angeles 1972 Munich
Latest medal: Silver medal (2nd place): 2008 Beijing
Team
Results
By tournament
The following table shows results of the United States men's national water polo team at the Olympic Games by tournament.
Historical progression – best finish
The following table shows the historical progression of the best finish at the Olympic Games.
By opponent
The following tables show results of the United States men's national water polo team at the Olympic Games by opponent.
^Teams that have won at least one Olympic medal are shown in bold. †Defunct teams are shown in italic.
Victories, ties and defeats
Biggest victory in an Olympic match
10–0 vs. , Aug 8, 1928
10–0 vs. , Aug 7, 1932
Heaviest defeat in an Olympic match
0–7 vs. , Aug 11, 1932
0–7 vs. , Aug 3, 1948
Most victories in an Olympic tournament
6, 1972 Summer Olympics
6, 1984 Summer Olympics
Most matches without defeat in an Olympic tournament
8, 1972 Summer Olympics
Most defeats in an Olympic tournament
5, 2000 Summer Olympics
5, 2012 Summer Olympics
Most matches without victory in an Olympic tournament
5, 2000 Summer Olympics
5, 2012 Summer Olympics
Most ties in an Olympic tournament
2, 1972 Summer Olympics
Most matches without a tie in an Olympic tournament
9, 1952 Summer Olympics
Goals for and against
Most goals for in an Olympic match
18–9 vs. , Sep 26, 1988
Least goals for in an Olympic match
0–5 vs. , Aug 6, 1928
0–7 vs. , Aug 11, 1932
0–7 vs. , Aug 3, 1948
0–4 vs. , Aug 2, 1952
Most goals against in an Olympic match
10–14 vs. , Aug 24, 2008
Least goals against in an Olympic match
7–0 vs. , Aug 24, 1920
5–0 vs. , Aug 28, 1920
10–0 vs. , Aug 8, 1928
10–0 vs. , Aug 7, 1932
7–0 vs. , Jul 30, 1948
Most matches scoring in an Olympic tournament
9, 1972 Summer Olympics
Most matches without scoring in an Olympic tournament
1, 1928 Summer Olympics
1, 1932 Summer Olympics
1, 1948 Summer Olympics
1, 1952 Summer Olympics
Most matches conceding a goal in an Olympic tournament
9, 1952 Summer Olympics
9, 1972 Summer Olympics
Rosters
Number of competitors and average age, height & weight
The following table shows number of competitors and average age, height & weight at the Olympic Games by tournament.
Historical progression – returning Olympians
The following table shows the historical progression of the record of returning Olympians.
Historical progression – average age, height and weight
The following table shows the historical progression of the record of average age at the Olympic Games.
The following table shows the historical progression of the record of average height at the Olympic Games.
The following table shows the historical progression of the record of average weight at the Olympic Games.
Individual
Appearances
Most appearances
The following tables are pre-sorted by number of Olympic appearances (in descending order), date of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), date of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the person (in ascending order), respectively.
Sixteen athletes have each made at least three Olympic appearances. Tony Azevedo is the first and only American water polo player (man or woman) to have competed in five Olympic Games (2000–2016).
Six men have each made two Olympic appearances as head coaches of the United States men's national team.
Four Americans have each made Olympic appearances as players and as head coaches of the United States men's national team.