# Water polo at the 2000 Summer Olympics

The water polo competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia saw Hungary’s return to the gold medal platform and the introduction of the women’s tournament. The Australian women had lobbied the IOC hard for the inclusion of women’s water polo in the Olympics, including showing up at the airport dressed only in their swimsuits during one pre-Olympic visit by members of the IOC.
Six nations competed in the women’s tournament with home team Australia winning the gold medal over the United States. Twelve nations competed in the men’s tournament and played a total of 48 matches. Spain was unable to follow up their 1996 gold medal performance with a medal. Hungary defeated Russia for the gold medal. The matches were held at Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre and the Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre.

## Qualification
### Men

| Events | Dates | Hosts | Quotas | Qualified Teams |
| Host Country | 24 September 1993 | Monte Carlo | 1 | Australia |
| 1999 World Cup | 28 September - 3 October 1999 | Sydney | 3 | Hungary |
| 1999 World Cup | 28 September - 3 October 1999 | Sydney | 3 | Italy |
| 1999 World Cup | 28 September - 3 October 1999 | Sydney | 3 | Spain |
| 1999 Pan American Games | 23-30 July 1999 | Winnipeg | 1 | United States |
| 1999 European Championship | 2-11 September 1999 | Firenze | 1 | Croatia |
| 2000 Asian Championship | 28 March - 2 April 2000 | Busan | 1 | Kazakhstan |
| Men's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | 6-14 May 2000 | Hannover | 5 | Yugoslavia |
| Men's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | 6-14 May 2000 | Hannover | 5 | Russia |
| Men's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | 6-14 May 2000 | Hannover | 5 | Greece |
| Men's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | 6-14 May 2000 | Hannover | 5 | Slovakia |
| Men's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | 6-14 May 2000 | Hannover | 5 | Netherlands |
| Total | | | 12 | |

### Women

| Events | Events | Dates | Hosts | Quotas | Qualified Teams |
| Host Country | Host Country | 24 September 1993 | Monte Carlo | 1 | Australia |
| 1999 World Cup | Europe | 24-29 May 1999 | Winnipeg | 1 | Netherlands |
| 1999 World Cup | Americas | 24-29 May 1999 | Winnipeg | 1 | Canada |
| Women's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | World | 22-30 April 2000 | Palermo | 2 | Russia |
| Women's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | World | 22-30 April 2000 | Palermo | 2 | United States |
| Women's Olympic Water Polo Qualifying Tournament | Asia/Africa/Oceania | 22-30 April 2000 | Palermo | 1 | Kazakhstan |
| Total | | | | 6 | |

## Medal summary
### Medal table

* Host nation (Australia)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Australia* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Russia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | United States | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | FR Yugoslavia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (5 entries) | Totals (5 entries) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |

### Medalists

| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Men details | Hungary Attila Vári Zoltán Szécsi Bulcsú Székely Zsolt Varga Tamás Märcz Tamás Molnár Barnabás Steinmetz Tamás Kásás Gergely Kiss Zoltán Kósz Tibor Benedek Péter Biros Rajmund Fodor | Russia Irek Zinnourov Dmitri Stratan Revaz Chomakhidze Marat Zakirov Nikolay Kozlov Nikolai Maximov Andrei Rekechinski Sergey Garbuzov Dmitry Gorshkov Yuri Yatsev Roman Balachov Dmitri Douquine Alexandre Erychov | FR Yugoslavia Predrag Zimonjić Jugoslav Vasović Vladimir Vujasinović Nenad Vukanić Aleksandar Šoštar Petar Trbojević Veljko Uskoković Nikola Kuljača Aleksandar Šapić Dejan Savić Aleksandar Ćirić Danilo Ikodinović Viktor Jelenić |
| Women details | Australia Taryn Woods Debbie Watson Liz Weekes Danielle Woodhouse Bronwyn Mayer Gail Miller Melissa Mills Simone Hankin Yvette Higgins Kate Hooper Naomi Castle Joanne Fox Bridgette Gusterson | United States Brenda Villa Kathy Sheehy Coralie Simmons Julie Swail Courtney Johnson Maureen O'Toole Nicolle Payne Heather Petri Ericka Lorenz Heather Moody Bernice Orwig Robin Beauregard Ellen Estes | Russia Ekaterina Vassilieva Elena Smurova Elena Tokoun Irina Tolkounova Ioulia Petrova Tatiana Petrova Galina Rytova Maria Koroleva Natalia Koutouzova Svetlana Kouzina Marina Akobia Ekaterina Anikeeva Sofia Konoukh |