ACOG - News - IBM

(19 July 1996)

Water Polo Powers Open Group Play

Water polo power Hungary, already the winner of a record six team gold medals, is one of 12 teams competing for the top prize at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The competition will begin on Saturday, 20 July, at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, with the Netherlands and Yugoslavia beginning bracket play at 11:00.

The 12 teams were broken into two groups of six teams and the top four teams advance to the quarterfinals that will begin on Friday, 26 July. Competition will conclude on Sunday, 28 July with the gold and bronze medal games.

The Netherlands, Spain, Hungary, Russia, Germany and Yugoslavia make up Group A and Italy, Ukraine, Croatia, Greece, Romania and the United States comprise Group B. The 1996 field is considered one of the most evenly-matched in the history of the Games. The squads have combined to win all seven previous world championships and 17 of the 21 Olympic gold medals awarded in the sport.

Members of Group B, the United States and Italy are the perennial contenders and are expected to come out on top of the bracket. The United States, which has won a total of eight medals since water polo's inception at the Games, including silver medals in 1984 and 1988, is the only non-European team to win a water polo medal at the Olympics. Italy is the defending European, World and Olympic champion.

Yugoslavia, the winner of three Olympic gold medals of its own, and Hungary are favorites in Group A.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Susan Fumagalli.



Olympic Factoid
Closing Ceremony of the 1996 Games involved a crew of 2,100 who worked with more than 3,500 performers as well as thousands of athletes who celebrated on the field of Olympic Stadium.