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Great Britain men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

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This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Great Britain men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.

The Great Britain men's national water polo team has participated in 11 of 27 official men's water polo tournaments.[1]

Abbreviations

[edit]
Apps Appearances Rk Rank Ref Reference Cap No. Water polo cap number
Pos Playing position FP Field player GK Goalkeeper ISHOF International Swimming Hall of Fame
L/R Handedness L Left-handed R Right-handed Oly debut Olympic debut in water polo
(C) Captain p. page pp. pages

Team statistics

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Comprehensive results by tournament

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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
  •  —  – The nation did not participate in the Games
  •  Q  – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
  •     – Hosts
Men's team[1] 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 Years
 Great Britain 1 1 1 1 8 4 8 13 12 7 12 11
Total teams 7 4 6 12 13 14 5 16 18 21 10 16 13 15 16 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Number of appearances

[edit]

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Legend
  • Year* – As host team
Men's team[1] Apps Record
streak
Active
streak
Debut Most
recent
Best finish Confederation
 Great Britain 11 5 0 1900 2012* Champions Europe – LEN

Best finishes

[edit]

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Legend
  • Year* – As host team
Men's team[1] Best finish Apps Confederation
 Great Britain Champions (1900, 1908*, 1912, 1920) 11 Europe – LEN

Finishes in the top four

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Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Legend
  • Year* – As host team
Men's team[1] Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last
 Great Britain 5 4 (1900, 1908*, 1912, 1920) 1 (1928) 1900 1928

Medal table

[edit]

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Men's teamGoldSilverBronzeTotal
 Great Britain (GBR)4004

Player statistics

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Multiple appearances

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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 six-time Olympians: 0
  • Number of five-time Olympians: 1
  • Number of four-time Olympians: 1
  • Last updated: 27 July 2021.
Legend
  •     – Hosts
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
5 Paul Radmilovic 1886 FP 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 22/42 1967 [2]
4 Charles Smith 1879 GK 1908 1912 1920 1924 29/45 1981 Flag bearer for Great Britain (1912) [3]

Multiple medalists

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The following table is pre-sorted by total number of Olympic medals (in descending order), number of Olympic gold medals (in descending order), number of Olympic silver medals (in descending order), year of receiving the last Olympic medal (in ascending order), year of receiving the first Olympic medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.

  • Number of four-time Olympic medalists: 0
  • Number of three-time Olympic medalists: 2
  • Last updated: 1 May 2021.
Legend
  •     – Hosts
Male athletes who won three or more Olympic medals in water polo
Rk Player Birth Height Pos Water polo tournaments Period
(age of
first/last)
Medals Ref
1 2 3 4 5 G S B T
1 Paul Radmilovic 1886 1.80 m
(5 ft 11 in)
FP 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 20 years
(22/42)
3 0 0 3 [2]
Charles Smith 1879 1.86 m
(6 ft 1 in)
GK 1908 1912 1920 1924 16 years
(29/45)
3 0 0 3 [3]

Top goalscorers

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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): 0
  • Number of goalscorers (40–49 goals): 0
  • Number of goalscorers (30–39 goals): 0
  • Last updated: 1 April 2021.

Goalkeepers

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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: 1 April 2021.

Legend and abbreviation
  •     – Hosts
  • Eff % – Save efficiency (Saves / Shots)
Year Cap
No.
Goalkeeper Birth Age ISHOF
member
Note Ref
1900 William Henry 1859 41 1974 The only goalkeeper in the squad [4]
1908 Charles Smith 1879 29 1981 The only goalkeeper in the squad [3]
1912 Charles Smith (2) 1879 33 1981 Flag bearer for Great Britain
The only goalkeeper in the squad
[3]
1920 Charles Smith (3) 1879 41 1981 The only goalkeeper in the squad [3]
1924 Charles Smith (4) 1879 45 1981 Starting goalkeeper [3]
(Unknown)
1928 Leslie Ablett 1904 24 [5]
William Quick 1902 26 [6]
1936 Leslie Ablett (2) 1904 32 [5]
Alfred North 1908 20 [7]
1948 Ian Johnson 1930 17–18 Starting goalkeeper [8]
(Unknown)
1952 Ian Johnson (2) 1930 21–22 Starting goalkeeper [8]
(Unknown)
1956 Arthur Grady 1922 34 Starting goalkeeper [9]
(Unknown)
Year Cap
No.
Goalkeeper Birth Age ISHOF
member
Note Ref
Year Cap
No.
Goalkeeper Birth Age Saves Shots Eff % ISHOF
member
Note Ref
2012 1 Edward Scott 1988 24 18 52 34.6% [10]
13 Matthew Holland 1989 23 29 72 40.3% [11]

Source:

Top sprinters

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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): 0
  • Number of sprinters (20–29 sprints won, since 2000): 0
  • Number of sprinters (10–19 sprints won, since 2000): 0
  • Number of sprinters (5–9 sprints won, since 2000): 1
  • 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 Sean King 1989 5 9 55.6% 2012
(5/9)
23/23 [12]

Source:

Olympic champions

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1900 Summer Olympics

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  • Edition of men's tournament: 1st
  • Host city: France Paris, France
  • Number of participating teams: 7 teams from 4 countries, including 4 from France[a]
  • Competition format: Single-elimination tournament
  • Champion: Osborne Swimming Club ( Great Britain, 1st title)
Match Round Date Opponent Result Goals
for
Goals
against
Goal
diff.
Match 1/3 Round one 11 August 1900 Tritons Lillois ( France) Won 12 0 12
Match 2/3 Semi-finals 12 August 1900 Pupilles de Neptune de Lille #2 ( France) Won 10 1 9
Match 3/3 Gold medal match 12 August 1900 Brussels Swimming and Water Polo Club ( Belgium) Won 7 2 5
Total Matches played: 3 • Wins: 3 • Ties: 0 • Defeats: 0 • Win %: 100% 29 3 26

Sources:

  • Head coach: United Kingdom
Roster
# Player Pos Height Weight Date of birth Age of
winning gold
Oly
debut
ISHOF
member
P1 Thomas Coe (C) FP 3 November 1873 26 years, 282 days Yes
P2 Robert Crawshaw FP 6 March 1869 31 years, 159 days Yes
P3 William Henry GK 28 June 1859 41 years, 45 days Yes 1974
P4 John Jarvis FP 24 February 1872 28 years, 169 days Yes 1968
P5 Peter Kemp FP 1878 21 years, 224 days –
22 years, 223 days
Yes
P6 Victor Lindberg FP 26 July 1875 25 years, 17 days Yes
P7 Frederick Stapleton FP 11 March 1877 23 years, 154 days Yes
Average 15 March 1872
6 May 1872
28 years, 98 days –
28 years, 150 days

Sources:

1908 Summer Olympics

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  • Edition of men's tournament: 3rd
  • Host city: United Kingdom London, United Kingdom
  • Number of participating teams: 4
  • Competition format: Single-elimination tournament
  • Champion:  Great Britain (2nd title)
Match Round Date Opponent Result Goals
for
Goals
against
Goal
diff.
Match 1/3 Round one 15 July 1908 Bye[b]
Match 2/3 Semi-finals 20 July 1908  Austria Austria withdrew before the tournament started.[b]
Match 3/3 Gold medal match 22 July 1908  Belgium Won 9 2 7
Total Matches played: 1[b] • Wins: 1[b] • Ties: 0 • Defeats: 0 • Win %: 100% 9 2 7

Source: Official Reports (PDF): 1908 (pp. 360, 361).

  • Head coach: United Kingdom
Roster
# Player Pos Height Weight Date of birth Age of
winning gold
Oly
debut
ISHOF
member
P1 George Cornet FP 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 15 July 1877 31 years, 7 days Yes
P2 Charles Forsyth FP 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 10 January 1885 23 years, 194 days Yes
P3 George Nevinson FP 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 3 October 1882 25 years, 293 days Yes
P4 Paul Radmilovic FP 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 5 March 1886 22 years, 139 days Yes 1967
P5 Charles Smith (C) GK 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 26 January 1879 29 years, 178 days Yes 1981
P6 Thomas Thould FP 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 73 kg (161 lb) 11 January 1886 22 years, 193 days Yes
P7 George Wilkinson FP 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 3 March 1879 29 years, 141 days Yes 1980
Average 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 2 April 1882 26 years, 111 days

Sources:

1912 Summer Olympics

[edit]
The 1912 Great Britain men's Olympic water polo team.
  • Edition of men's tournament: 4th
  • Host city: Sweden Stockholm, Sweden
  • Number of participating teams: 6
  • Competition format: Single-elimination tournament
  • Champion:  Great Britain (3rd title)
Match Round Date Opponent Result Goals
for
Goals
against
Goal
diff.
Match 1/3 Round one 7 July 1912  Belgium Won 7 5 2
Match 2/3 Semi-finals 11 July 1912  Sweden Won 6 3 3
Match 3/3 Gold medal match 13 July 1912  Austria Won 8 0 8
Total Matches played: 3 • Wins: 3 • Ties: 0 • Defeats: 0 • Win %: 100% 21 8 13

Source: Official Reports (PDF): 1912 (pp. 1022, 1024, 1033).

  • Head coach: United Kingdom
Roster
# Player Pos Height Weight Date of birth Age of
winning gold
Oly
debut
ISHOF
member
P1 Isaac Bentham FP 27 October 1886 25 years, 263 days Yes
P2 Charles Bugbee FP 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 29 August 1887 24 years, 322 days Yes
P3 George Cornet FP 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 15 July 1877 35 years, 1 day No
P4 Arthur Hill FP 9 January 1888 24 years, 189 days Yes
P5 Paul Radmilovic FP 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 5 March 1886 26 years, 133 days No 1967
P6 Charles Smith GK 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 26 January 1879 33 years, 172 days No 1981
P7 George Wilkinson (C) FP 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 3 March 1879 33 years, 135 days No 1980
Average 30 June 1883 29 years, 16 days

Sources:

1920 Summer Olympics

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  • Edition of men's tournament: 5th
  • Host city: Belgium Antwerp, Belgium
  • Number of participating teams: 12
  • Competition format: Single-elimination tournament; Bergvall system for second- and third-place
  • Champion:  Great Britain (4th title)
Match Round Date Opponent Result Goals
for
Goals
against
Goal
diff.
Match 1/3 Round one 24 August 1920  Spain Won 9 0 9
Match 2/3 Semi-finals 26 August 1920  United States Won 7 2 5
Match 3/3 Gold medal match 27 August 1920  Belgium Won 3 2 1
Total Matches played: 3 • Wins: 3 • Ties: 0 • Defeats: 0 • Win %: 100% 19 4 15

Source: Official Reports (PDF): 1920 (p. 130).

Paul Radmilovic won three gold medals in water polo at the 1908, 1912 and 1920 Olympics.
  • Head coach: United Kingdom
Roster
# Player Pos Height Weight Date of birth Age of
winning gold
Oly
debut
ISHOF
member
P1 Charles Bugbee FP 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 29 August 1887 33 years, 0 days No
P2 William Dean FP 6 February 1887 33 years, 205 days Yes
P3 Christopher Jones FP 23 June 1884 36 years, 67 days Yes
P4 William Peacock FP 6 December 1891 28 years, 267 days Yes
P5 Noel Purcell FP 15 November 1891 28 years, 288 days Yes
P6 Paul Radmilovic (C) FP 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 76 kg (168 lb) 5 March 1886 34 years, 177 days No 1967
P7 Charles Smith GK 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 26 January 1879 41 years, 216 days No 1981
Average 24 November 1886 33 years, 279 days

Sources:

Water polo people at the opening and closing ceremonies

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Flag bearers

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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, two male water polo players were given the honour to carry the flag for Great Britain.

Charles Smith, representing Great Britain, was the first water polo player to be a flag bearer at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics.[3]

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 1912 O Great Britain Charles Smith 1879 33 1.86 m
(6 ft 1 in)
 Great Britain GK 1908 1912 1920 1924 16 years
(29/45)
3 0 0 3 [3]
2 1924 O Great Britain Arthur Hunt 1886 37  Great Britain FP 1924 0 years
(37/37)
0 0 0 0 [13]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ France had four teams compete in 1900. Bronze medals were given to the losers of both semifinals; France took both bronze.
  2. ^ a b c d Having drawn a bye in the first round and having received a walkover against Austria in the semi-final, the final was the only match that Great Britain played during the tournament.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Paul Radmilovic". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Charles Smith". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  4. ^ "William Henry". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Leslie Ablett". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  6. ^ "William Quick". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Alfred North". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Ian Johnson". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Arthur Grady". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Edward Scott". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Matthew Holland". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Sean King". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Arthur Hunt". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 16 July 2020.

Sources

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Official Reports (IOC)

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PDF documents in the LA84 Foundation Digital Library:

Official Results Books (IOC)

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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)

[edit]

PDF documents on the FINA website:

Official website (IOC)

[edit]

Water polo on the International Olympic Committee website:

Olympedia

[edit]

Water polo on the Olympedia website:

Sports Reference

[edit]

Water polo on the Sports Reference website:

Todor66

[edit]

Water polo on the Todor66 website:

ISHOF

[edit]

International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) website:

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