Australia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Australia men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics .
The Australia men's national water polo team has participated in 17 of 27 official men's water polo tournaments .[ 1]
Abbreviations
Team statistics
Comprehensive results by tournament
Notes:
Results of Olympic qualification tournaments are not included. Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games.
At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a water polo tournament was contested, but only American contestants participated. Currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) consider water polo event as part of unofficial program in 1904.
Last updated: 5 May 2021.
Legend
1 – Champions
2 – Runners-up
3 – Third place
4 – Fourth place
– Qualified but were not allowed to compete
— – The nation did not participate in the Games
Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
– Hosts
Number of appearances
Last updated: 27 July 2021.
Legend
Men's team[ 1]
Apps
Record streak
Active streak
Debut
Most recent
Best finish
Confederation
Australia
17
6
6
1948
2020
Fifth place
Oceania – OSA
Best finishes
Last updated: 27 July 2021.
Legend
Men's team[ 1]
Best finish
Apps
Confederation
Australia
Fifth place (1984, 1992)
17
Oceania – OSA
Finishes in the top four
Last updated: 5 May 2021.
Legend
Men's team[ 1]
Total
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
First
Last
Australia
0
—
—
Medal table
Last updated: 5 May 2021.
Player statistics
Multiple appearances
The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic appearances (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), date of birth (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
Number of five-time Olympians: 0
Number of four-time Olympians: 6
Last updated: 27 July 2021.
Legend
Male athletes who competed in water polo at four or more Olympics
Apps
Player
Birth
Pos
Water polo tournaments
Age of first/last
ISHOF member
Note
Ref
1
2
3
4
5
4
Peter Montgomery
1950
FP
1972
1976
1980
1984
22/34
2013
[ 2]
Andrew Kerr
1954
FP
1976
1980
1984
1988
22/34
[ 3]
Gavin Woods
1978
FP
2000
2004
2008
2012
22/34
[ 4]
Thomas Whalan
1980
FP
2000
2004
2008
2012
19/31
[ 5]
Rhys Howden
1987
FP
2008
2012
2016
2020
21/34
[ 6]
Richie Campbell
1987
FP
2008
2012
2016
2020
20/33
[ 7]
Note:
Top goalscorers
The following table is pre-sorted by number of total goals (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
Number of goalscorers (50+ goals): 1
Number of goalscorers (40–49 goals): 0
Number of goalscorers (30–39 goals): 3
Last updated: 1 April 2021.
Legend
Male players with 30 or more goals at the Olympics
Rk
Player
Birth
L/R
Total goals
Water polo tournaments (goals)
Age of first/last
ISHOF member
Note
Ref
1
2
3
4
5
1
Charles Turner
1952
Right
50
1976 (15)
1980 (17)
1984 (18)
23/31
[ 8]
2
Christopher Wybrow
1961
36
1984 (15)
1988 (10)
1992 (11)
22/30
[ 9]
3
Geoffrey Clark
1969
32
1988 (14)
1992 (18)
19/23
[ 10]
Thomas Whalan
1980
Right
32
2000 (3)
2004 (14)
2008 (7)
2012 (8)
19/31
[ 11]
Sources:
Official Reports (PDF): 1948–1964, 1972–1992;
Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 48, 52, 56, 65–66, 71, 73, 76), 2004 (pp. 187–188), 2008 (pp. 181–182), 2012 (pp. 468–469), 2016 (pp. 103–104).
Note:
Goalkeepers
The following table is pre-sorted by edition of the Olympics (in ascending order), cap number or name of the goalkeeper (in ascending order), respectively.
Last updated: 27 July 2021.
Legend and abbreviation
– Hosts
Eff % – Save efficiency (Saves / Shots)
Year
Cap No.
Goalkeeper
Birth
Age
Saves
Shots
Eff %
ISHOF member
Note
Ref
2000
1
Eddie Denis
1970
29
56
107
52.3%
Starting goalkeeper
[ 24]
13
Rafael Sterk
1978
22
8
18
44.4%
[ 25]
2004
1
James Stanton
1983
21
57
108
52.8%
Starting goalkeeper
[ 26]
13
Rafael Sterk (2)
1978
26
1
3
33.3%
[ 25]
2008
1
James Stanton (2)
1983
25
48
109
44.0%
Starting goalkeeper
[ 26]
13
Rafael Sterk (3)
1978
30
5
9
55.6%
[ 25]
2012
1
Joel Dennerley
1987
25
51
104
49.0%
Starting goalkeeper
[ 27]
13
James Clark
1991
21
15
36
41.7%
[ 28]
2016
1
Joel Dennerley (2)
1987
29
29
51
56.9%
[ 27]
13
James Stanton (3)
1983
33
22
40
55.0%
[ 26]
2020
1
Anthony Hrysanthos
1995
25
[ 29]
13
Joel Dennerley (3)
1987
34
[ 27]
Year
Cap No.
Goalkeeper
Birth
Age
Saves
Shots
Eff %
ISHOF member
Note
Ref
Source:
Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 48, 52, 56, 65–66, 71, 73, 76), 2004 (pp. 187–188), 2008 (pp. 181–182), 2012 (pp. 468–469), 2016 (pp. 103–104).
Top sprinters
The following table is pre-sorted by number of total sprints won (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the sprinter (in ascending order), respectively.
Number of sprinters (30+ sprints won, since 2000): 1
Number of sprinters (20–29 sprints won, since 2000): 0
Number of sprinters (10–19 sprints won, since 2000): 2
Number of sprinters (5–9 sprints won, since 2000): 0
Last updated: 15 May 2021.
Legend and abbreviation
– Hosts
Eff % – Efficiency (Sprints won / Sprints contested)
Male players with 5 or more sprints won at the Olympics (statistics since 2000)
Rk
Sprinter
Birth
Total sprints won
Total sprints contested
Eff %
Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested)
Age of first/last
ISHOF member
Note
Ref
1
2
3
4
5
1
Rhys Howden
1987
42
49
85.7%
2008 (5/6)
2012 (19/24)
2016 (18/19)
21/29
[ 6]
2
Nathan Thomas
1972
15
19
78.9%
2000 (15/19)
2004 (0/0)
28/32
[ 30]
3
Thomas Whalan
1980
13
22
59.1%
2000 (9/13)
2004 (2/4)
2008 (1/1)
2012 (1/4)
19/31
[ 5]
Source:
Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 48, 52, 56, 65–66, 71, 73, 76), 2004 (pp. 187–188), 2008 (pp. 181–182), 2012 (pp. 468–469), 2016 (pp. 103–104).
Note:
Water polo people at the opening and closing ceremonies
Flag bearers
Some sportspeople were chosen to carry the national flag of their country at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games . As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, one male water polo player was given the honour to carry the flag for Australia .
Legend
2008 O – Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2012 C – Closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
– Hosts
Flag bearer ‡ – Flag bearer who won the tournament with his team
Water polo people who were flag bearers at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games
#
Year
Country
Flag bearer
Birth
Age
Height
Team
Pos
Water polo tournaments
Period (age of first/last)
Medals
Ref
1
2
3
4
5
G
S
B
T
1
1948 O
Australia
Les McKay
1917
31
Australia
FP
1948
0 years (31/31)
0
0
0
0
[ 31]
Oath takers
Some sportspeople from the host nations were chosen to take the Olympic Oath at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, one water polo referee from Australia was given the honour.[ 32]
Peter Kerr , an Australian water polo referee, took the Officials' Oath at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.[ 33]
Legend
Water polo people who were oath takers at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games
#
Year
Oath
Country
Oath taker
Birth
Age
Water polo tournament
Ref
1
2000
Officials' Oath
Australia
Peter Kerr
1996
2000
As referee (official)
[ 33]
See also
Notes
^ While Australia had qualified to compete as one of sixteen water polo teams, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) did not endorse them. The Australian players responded by paying their own way to travel to Mexico City, but the team were not allowed to compete. For more details, please see here (1 , 2 ).
References
Sources
Official Reports (IOC)
PDF documents in the LA84 Foundation Digital Library:
Official Report of the 1896 Olympic Games (download , archive )
Official Report of the 1900 Olympic Games (download , archive )
Official Report of the 1904 Olympic Games (download , archive )
Official Report of the 1908 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 359–361)
Official Report of the 1912 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 1021–1024, 1031–1037)
Official Report of the 1920 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (p. 130)
Official Report of the 1924 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 439–440, 486–494)
Official Report of the 1928 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 746–757, 797–807)
Official Report of the 1932 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 619–623, 646–652)
Official Report of the 1936 Olympic Games, v.2 (download , archive ) (pp. 345–356)
Official Report of the 1948 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 537–540, 640–647)
Official Report of the 1952 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 600–608)
Official Report of the 1956 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 592–594, 624–627)
Official Report of the 1960 Olympic Games (download , archive ) (pp. 552–555, 617–634)
Official Report of the 1964 Olympic Games, v.2 (download , archive ) (pp. 682–698)
Official Report of the 1968 Olympic Games, v.3 (download , archive ) (pp. 449–466, 811–826)
Official Report of the 1972 Olympic Games, v.3 (download , archive ) (pp. 331, 353–365)
Official Report of the 1976 Olympic Games, v.3 (download , archive ) (pp. 446–447, 484–497)
Official Report of the 1980 Olympic Games, v.3 (download , archive ) (pp. 458, 495–510)
Official Report of the 1984 Olympic Games, v.2 (download , archive ) (pp. 528–534)
Official Report of the 1988 Olympic Games, v.2 (download , archive ) (pp. 590–598)
Official Report of the 1992 Olympic Games, v.5 (download , archive ) (pp. 354, 386–400)
Official Report of the 1996 Olympic Games, v.3 (download , archive ) (pp. 56–73)
Official Results Books (IOC)
PDF documents in the LA84 Foundation Digital Library:
PDF documents on the FINA website:
PDF documents in the Olympic World Library:
PDF documents on the International Olympic Committee website:
Official Reports (FINA)
PDF documents on the FINA website:
Official website (IOC)
Water polo on the International Olympic Committee website:
Olympedia
Water polo on the Olympedia website:
Sports Reference
Water polo on the Sports Reference website:
Todor66
Water polo on the Todor66 website:
Water polo at the Summer Games
Water polo at the 1900 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1904 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1908 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1912 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1920 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1924 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1928 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1932 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1936 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1948 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1952 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1956 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1960 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1964 Summer Olympics (men's tournament )
Water polo at the 1968 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 1972 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 1976 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's European qualification )
Water polo at the 1980 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's European qualification , men's world qualification )
Water polo at the 1984 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 1988 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 1992 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 1996 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2000 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2004 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2012 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2016 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2020 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
Water polo at the 2024 Summer Olympics (men's tournament , men's qualification )
ISHOF
International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) website:
External links
Australia squads – Summer Olympics
General Tournaments
Qualifications
Squads
Statistics
Miscellaneous