Olympic Overview

Italy and Hungary Will Provide Stiff Competition
US Team Seeks Gold Medal Performance
World Teams Also Look For Gold
Mens Olympic Tournament Schedule
All-Time US Olympians
Olympic Records

As members of the U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team accelerate the pace and increase the intensity of their preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, their few "restful" hours each evening are filled with sogni d'oro, sweet dreams of gold.

Italy and Hungary Will Provide Stiff Competition

This elegant Italian phrase carries with it special significance for the American team. As the defending European (1995), World (1994) and Olympic Champions (1992) Italy is still considered the early favorite to win in Atlanta. Its only blemish in an otherwise gold chain of international championships in recent years was a silver finish at the 1995 FINA World Cup in Atlanta, following a one-goal loss to Hungary.

The Italians are lead by the remarkable steady play of captain and goalkeeper Francesco Attolico, arguably the best at his position in the world. With such veteran Olympians as Alessandro Bovo, Varlo Sillipo and Amadeo Pomilio providing a solid base, Coach Ratko Rudic can draw on his three-time Olympic gold medal experience to blend in a talented cast of newcomers into Italy's defense of its 1992 Olympic gold medal performance.

The other source of late-night thoughts for the U.S. coaching staff is the team from Hungary, fresh from a big win at the 1995 FINA World Cup. With one of the strongest line-ups among the Olympic qualifiers, the team from Hungary is led by Tibor Benedek, perhaps the premier perimeter player in the world. His sheer strength, quickness and explosiveness make him an extremely dangerous threat to score virtually any time he touches the ball.

In addition to fielding a team that is deep at every position, Hungary's starting line-up includes Tomas Kasas, the out standing young player in the world. With a well-toned 6'6" frame and speed to match, Kasas has a deadly shot that might well be a nightmare for any goal tender.

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US Team Seeks Gold Medal Performance

Over the course of the past quadrennium, every measure of individual and team progress points to the reality of the USA Water Polo Team's collective dreams of gold in Atlanta. The Americans' youth and relative inexperience have not prevented them from establishing an admirable record of success and remark able development following the team's fourth-place finish at the 1992 Games in Barcelona and the retirement of eight of the thirteen Olympians.

Captain Chris Duplanty and Members of Team USA

After placing sixth at the 1994 World Championships, Team USA improved its ranking at the 1995 FINA World Cup, placing fourth after an overtime loss to Russia, the bronze-medalists in Barcelona. Behind the extraordinary play of 1992 Olympian Chris Humbert, one of the towering forces in the water polo world. This 6'7" left-hander is also one of the single most dominant forces in the sport: his agility, quickness, intelligence and creativity enable him to beat the world's best goaltender. Even the most knowledge able spectators are hard pressed to describe his athleticism.

Two time Olympians (1988 and 1992) Chris Duplanty and Mike Evans provide the well-tested and successful leadership a gold-medal contending team needs on defense and offense. Along with such talented players as Kyle Kopp, Chi Kredell, Jeremy Laster and Chris Oeding,1992 Olympians Kirk Everist and Alex Rousseau provide the U.S. with outstanding speed and additional scoring power.

Gavin Arroyo, Troy Barnhart and Rick McNair have combined with goaltender Dan Hackett to create an impressive defensive line and to give the U.S. a potent offensive weapon: the fastest end-to-end speed of any team in the 1996 Olympics. Adding depth to the American squad are Brent Albright, Jack Bowen, Sean Nolen, Frank Schneider, Jim Toring and Wolf Wigo. Team USA needs only home-crowd support to help turn those sweet dreams into a gold-medal performance in Atlanta.

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World Teams Also Look For Gold

Other medal contenders at the 1996 Summer Games include the team from Spain, which will bring almost the same roster to Atlanta that won the silver medal in 1992 at home in Barcelona, a performance they repeated at the 1994 World Championships. After a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 1995 FINA World Cup,the Spanish team, led by the legendary player Manuel Estiarte, hopes to regain its medal-winning form by the end of July. Estiarte, appearing in his fifth Olympic games, still demonstrates the ability to change, and often simply to take over, a championship game. Joining Estiarte on the starting team are six other three-and four-time Olympians. Respected by the water polo world, the Spanish team is challenged only by one question: can they put together a medal performance one more time?

The admirable traditions of water polo excellence established by Russia and Yugoslavia are reflected in the fact these teams have earned medals at each of the past five Olympics.

Russia will bring a team to Atlanta that has won (under the banner of the Soviet Union) the bronze medal at the 1992 and 1988 Olympics, along with third-place finishes at the 1994 World Championships and the 1995 FINA World Cup. A strong, fast and well trained team, Russia is always ready to perform at a consistently high level at the most important international competitions.

Yugoslavia's gold-filled tradition in Olympic water polo (most recently at the 1984 and 1988 Games) was put on hold during the Barcelona Game because of United Nations and Olympic sanctions. They have returned with a fury and a purpose: they captured first place at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Berlin in February 1996, finishing the competition undefeated behind the play of soon-to-be three-time Olympian Igor Milanovie.

Germany, Greece Holland, Romania and Ukraine complete the field of 12 at the 1996 Olympic Water Polo competition. Germany draws on the leadership of coach Nicolair Firoiu, a veteran of many Olympics, and the stellar play of Rene Reimann, considered by many the best right-handed shooter in the world. Greece and Romania are distinguished by young and balanced teams, which have moved in and out of the top-eight world ranking over the past quadrennium. Rounding out the Olympic field are teams from Holland, which will seek to repeat their 1976 medal-winning performance in Montreal and the team from Ukraine, preparing for its first Olympic experience.

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