The Serbia men’s water polo team will contend for the gold medal in the upcoming Olympics’ water polo event in London. They won this year’s European Water Polo Championship and gained several gold medals in past Olympic Games and FINA-organized tournaments. They were declared as the best male sports team by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Serbia (Serbia and Montenegro from 2001 to 2006) in the years 2001, 2003-2009 and 2011.
A Top 2012 Olympic Contender for Water Polo
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Serbia Men’s Water Polo Team At The Olympics NOTE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the NOC of Serbia recognizes all Olympic medals won by Yugoslavia as part of Serbia’s official Olympic record. Former Yugoslavian states (Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro) are not authorized to count Olympic medals won under Yugoslavia as part of their official Olympic records. |
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Medal Won |
Olympic Year |
Event |
|
Silver |
1952 Helsinki * |
Team Competition |
|
Silver |
1956 Melbourne * |
Team Competition |
|
Silver |
1964 Tokyo * |
Team Competition |
|
Gold |
1968 Mexico City * |
Team Competition |
|
Silver |
1980 Moscow * |
Team Competition |
|
Gold |
1984 Los Angeles * |
Team Competition |
|
Gold |
1988 Seoul * |
Team Competition |
|
Bronze |
2000 Sydney * |
Team Competition |
|
Silver |
2004 Athens ** |
Team Competition |
|
Bronze |
2008 Beijing *** |
Team Competition |
| * under Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro competed in 1996 and 2000 Olympics under the name Yugoslavia)** under Serbia and Montenegro*** under Serbia | ||
The Serbia men’s water polo team’s first Olympic win was in 1952 (as the Yugoslavia men’s national water polo team), when they won a silver medal at Helsinki. They were successful in the Olympic years that followed, earning 3 gold medals, 4 more silver medals and 2 bronze medals. Following their bronze medal win in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, their winning records in the FINA World Aquatics Championship (2009), FINA Water Polo World Cup (2010), FINA Water Polo World League (2011) and European Water Polo Championship (2012) makes them the top water polo team to beat in the Olympics.
High Expectations from Countrymen
The men’s water polo team of Serbia is met with high anticipation to win the Olympic gold medal this year in London. Given their international prominence in water polo and their recent European Water Polo Championship win against Montenegro 9-8, the Serbs are widely assumed by their countrymen as instant Olympic winners. Coach Dejan Udovicic remarked that “There is big pressure for us because in Serbia people already think we’re going to be in the victory ceremony but the Olympics haven’t even started yet.”
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