This is a list of Olympic champions in women's water polo since the inaugural official edition in 2000.

Abbreviations

History

Women's water polo became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

As of 2016, women's teams from Europe, North America and Oceania won all five gold medals.

The United States is the most successful country in the women's Olympic water polo tournament, with two Olympic gold medals. The team won two gold in 2012 and 2016, becoming the first water polo team to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals.

The United States women's national team is current Olympic champion.

Legend

Team statistics

Results

The following table shows results of Olympic champions in women's water polo by tournament. Last updated: 7 August 2021.

Legend

•  6  – Winning 6 matches during the tournament
•  4  – Drawing 4 matches during the tournament
•  2  – Losing 2 matches during the tournament
•  100.0%  – Winning all matches during the tournament
•  Team  – Olympic winning streak (winning three or more Olympic titles in a row)
•  Team  – Host team

Abbreviation

Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (p. 96), 2004 (p. 72), 2008 (p. 71), 2012 (p. 368), 2016 (p. 218), 2020 (p. 273);
• Olympedia: 2000–2020 (women's tournaments).

The following table shows women's teams that won all matches during the Olympic tournament.

The following tables show records of goals for per match.

The following tables show records of goals against per match.

The following tables show records of goals difference per match.

Squads

The following table shows number of players and average age, height and weight of Olympic champions in women's water polo by tournament. Last updated: 7 August 2021.

Legend

•  Team  – Olympic winning streak
•  Team  – Winning all matches during the tournament
•  Team  – Host team

Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (p. 96), 2004 (p. 73), 2008 (p. 72), 2012 (p. 369), 2016 (p. 219), 2020 (p. 274);
• Olympedia: 2000–2020 (women's tournaments).

The following tables show records of the number of returning Olympians.

The following tables show records of average age.

The following tables show records of average height.

The following tables show records of average weight.

Olympic and world champions (teams)

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic titles (in descending order), number of world titles (in descending order), name of the team (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

As of 2024, there are four women's national water polo teams that won gold medals at the Summer Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Player statistics

Age records

The following tables show the oldest and youngest female Olympic champions in water polo. Last updated: 18 January 2021.

Legend

•  Team  – Host team

Multiple gold medalists

The following tables are pre-sorted by year of receiving the last Olympic gold medal (in ascending order), year of receiving the first Olympic gold medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

Two female athletes won three Olympic gold medals in water polo.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Eight female athletes won two Olympic gold medals in water polo.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Olympic and world champions (players)

The following tables are pre-sorted by number of Olympic titles (in descending order), number of world titles (in descending order), year of receiving the last gold medal (in ascending order), year of receiving the first gold medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

As of 2024, there are thirty five female athletes who won gold medals in water polo at the Summer Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Olympic champion families

The following tables are pre-sorted by year of receiving the Olympic gold medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Coach statistics

Most successful coaches

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic gold medals (in descending order), year of winning the last Olympic gold medal (in ascending order), name of the coach (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

There is only one coach who led women's national water polo team to win two or more Olympic gold medals.

Adam Krikorian coached the United States women's national team to three consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Olympic and world champions (coaches)

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic titles (in descending order), number of world titles (in descending order), year of winning the last gold medal (in ascending order), year of winning the first gold medal (in ascending order), name of the coach (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 27 February 2024.

As of 2024, there are two head coaches who led women's national teams to win gold medals in water polo at the Summer Olympics and the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend

• Year^* – As host team

Champions by tournament

2020 (United States, 3rd title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 6th
• Host city: Tokyo, Japan
• Number of participating teams: 10
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  United States (3rd title, 1st place in preliminary B group

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2021

2016 (United States, 2nd title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 5th
• Host city: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Number of participating teams: 8
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  United States (2nd title; 1st place in preliminary B group)

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2016 (pp. 142, 148, 158, 168, 176, 184).

• Head coach: Adam Krikorian (2nd title as head coach)
• Assistant coaches: Daniel Klatt, Chris Oeding

Note: Aria Fischer and Makenzie Fischer are sisters.
Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2016 (p. 219);
• ISHOF.

Abbreviation

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2016 (p. 218).

2012 (United States, 1st title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 4th
• Host city: London, United Kingdom
• Number of participating teams: 8
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  United States (1st title; 2nd place in preliminary A group)

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2012 (pp. 294, 300, 310, 312, 324, 334).

• Head coach: Adam Krikorian (1st title as head coach)
• Assistant coaches: Heather Moody, Daniel Klatt

Note: Jessica Steffens and Maggie Steffens are sisters.
Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2012 (p. 369);
• ISHOF.

Abbreviation

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2012 (p. 368).

2008 (Netherlands, 1st title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 3rd
• Host city: Beijing, China
• Number of participating teams: 8
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  Netherlands (1st title; 3rd place in preliminary B group)

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2008 (pp. 17, 23, 25, 33, 37, 43).

• Head coach: Robin van Galen (1st title as head coach)
• Assistant coach: Ilse Sindorf

Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2008 (p. 72);
• ISHOF.

Abbreviation

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2008 (p. 71).

2004 (Italy, 1st title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 2nd
• Host city: Athens, Greece
• Number of participating teams: 8
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  Italy (1st title; 2nd place in preliminary A group)

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2004 (pp. 4, 10, 12, 32, 38, 42).

• Head coach: Pierluigi Formiconi (1st title as head coach)
• Assistant coach: Mauro Maugeri

Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2004 (p. 73);
• ISHOF.

Abbreviation

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2004 (p. 72).

2000 (Australia, 1st title)

• Edition of women's tournament: 1st
• Host city: Sydney, Australia
• Number of participating teams: 6
• Competition format: Round-robin pools advanced teams to classification matches
• Champion:  Australia (1st title; 1st place in preliminary A group)

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 103, 106, 108, 111, 115, 119, 121).

• Head coach: István Görgényi (1st title as head coach)

Note: Bridgette Gusterson and Danielle Woodhouse are sisters; Bronwyn Mayer and Taryn Woods are cousins.
Sources:

• Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (p. 96);
• Olympedia: 2000 (women's tournament);
• ISHOF.

Abbreviation

Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (p. 96).

See also

• Water polo at the Summer Olympics

• List of world champions in men's water polo
• List of world champions in women's water polo

References

Sources

Official Results Books (IOC)

PDF documents in the LA84 Foundation Digital Library:

• Official Results Book – 2000 Olympic Games – Water Polo (download, archive)
• Official Results Book – 2004 Olympic Games – Water Polo (download, archive)
• Official Results Book – 2008 Olympic Games – Water Polo (download, archive)

PDF documents on the FINA website:

• Official Results Book – 2012 Olympic Games – Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo (archive) (pp. 284–507)

PDF documents in the Olympic World Library:

• Official Results Book – 2016 Olympic Games – Water Polo (archive)

PDF documents on the International Olympic Committee website:

• Official Results Book – 2020 Olympic Games – Water Polo (archive)

Official Reports (FINA)

PDF documents on the FINA website:

• HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics (as of September 2019) (archive) (p. 56)
• 1870–2020 | 150 years of Water Polo – Evolution of its rules (archive)

Official website (IOC)

Water polo on the International Olympic Committee website:

• Water polo
• Women's water polo

Olympedia

Water polo on the Olympedia website:

Sports Reference

Water polo on the Sports Reference website:

Todor66

Water polo on the Todor66 website:

ISHOF

International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) website:

External links

• Olympic water polo – Official website