# Belgium men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Belgium men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
The Belgium men's national water polo team has participated in 11 of 27 official men's water polo tournaments.

## Abbreviations

| Apps | Appearances | Rk | Rank | Ref | Reference | Cap No. | Water polo cap number |
| Pos | Playing position | FP | Field player | GK | Goalkeeper | ISHOF | International Swimming Hall of Fame |
| L/R | Handedness | L | Left-handed | R | Right-handed | Oly debut | Olympic debut in water polo |
| (C) | Captain | p. | page | pp. | pages | | |

## Team statistics
### Comprehensive results by tournament

Notes:
* Results of Olympic qualification tournaments are not included. Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games.
* At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a water polo tournament was contested, but only American contestants participated. Currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) consider water polo event as part of unofficial program in 1904.
* Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* 1 – Champions
* 2 – Runners-up
* 3 – Third place
* 4 – Fourth place
* — – The nation did not participate in the Games
* Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
* – Hosts
| Men's team | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Years |
| Belgium | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | | 3 | 4 | 6 | | 16 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 |
| Total teams | 7 | | 4 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |

### Number of appearances

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Apps | Record streak | Active streak | Debut | Most recent | Best finish | Confederation |
| Belgium | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1900 | 1964 | Runners-up | Europe – LEN |

### Best finishes

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Best finish | Apps | Confederation |
| Belgium | Runners-up (1900, 1908, 1920$^*$, 1924) | 11 | Europe – LEN |

### Finishes in the top four

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Total | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | First | Last |
| Belgium | 7 | | 4 (1900, 1908, 1920$^*$, 1924) | 2 (1912, 1936) | 1 (1948) | 1900 | 1948 |

### Medal table

Last updated: 5 May 2021.
| Men's team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 |

## Player statistics
### Multiple appearances

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic appearances (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), date of birth (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of five-time Olympians: 0
* Number of four-time Olympians: 2
* Last updated: 27 July 2021.

#### Legend

* – Hosts
Male athletes who competed in water polo at four or more Olympics :
| Apps | Player | Birth | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Apps | Player | Birth | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 4 | Joseph Pletincx | 1888 | FP | 1908 | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | | 20/36 | 1988 | | |
| 4 | Gérard Blitz | 1901 | FP | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | | 1936 | 19/35 | 1990 | | |

### Multiple medalists

The following table is pre-sorted by total number of Olympic medals (in descending order), number of Olympic gold medals (in descending order), number of Olympic silver medals (in descending order), year of receiving the last Olympic medal (in ascending order), year of receiving the first Olympic medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of five-time Olympic medalists: 0
* Number of four-time Olympic medalists: 1
* Number of three-time Olympic medalists: 3
* Last updated: 1 May 2021.

#### Legend

* – Hosts
Male athletes who won three or more Olympic medals in water polo :
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Period (age of first/last) | Medals | Medals | Medals | Medals | Ref |
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Period (age of first/last) | G | S | B | T | Ref |
| 1 | Joseph Pletincx | 1888 | | FP | 1908 | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | | 16 years (20/36) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2 | Oscar Grégoire | 1877 | | FP | 1900 | 1908 | 1912 | | | 12 years (23/35) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | Albert Durant | 1892 | | GK | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | | | 12 years (20/32) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | Gérard Blitz | 1901 | | FP | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | | 1936 | 16 years (19/35) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |

### Top goalscorers

The following table is pre-sorted by number of total goals (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of goalscorers (50+ goals): 0
* Number of goalscorers (40–49 goals): 0
* Number of goalscorers (30–39 goals): 0
* Last updated: 1 April 2021.

### Goalkeepers

The following table is pre-sorted by edition of the Olympics (in ascending order), cap number or name of the goalkeeper (in ascending order), respectively.
Last updated: 1 April 2021.

#### Legend

* – Hosts
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1900 | | Albert Michant | | | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1900 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1908 | | Albert Michant (2) | | | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1908 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1912 | | Albert Durant | 1892 | 20 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1912 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1920 | | Albert Durant (2) | 1892 | 28 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1920 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1924 | | Albert Durant (3) | 1892 | 32 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1924 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1928 | | Jules Brandeleer | | | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1928 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1936 | | Henri Disy | 1913 | 22 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1936 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1948 | | Théo-Léo De Smet | 1917 | 30 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1948 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1952 | | Théo-Léo De Smet (2) | 1917 | 34 | | | |
| 1952 | | François Maesschalck | 1921 | 30 | | | |
| 1960 | | Bruno De Hesselle | 1941 | 18 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1960 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1964 | 1 | Bruno De Hesselle (2) | 1941 | 23 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1964 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |

## Water polo people at the opening and closing ceremonies
### Flag bearers

Some sportspeople were chosen to carry the national flag of their country at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, one male water polo player was given the honour to carry the flag for Belgium.

#### Legend

* 2008 O – Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics
* 2012 C – Closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
* – Hosts
* Flag bearer$^‡$ – Flag bearer who won the tournament with his team
Water polo people who were flag bearers at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games :
| # | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Water polo tournaments | Period (age of first/last) | Medals | Medals | Medals | Medals | Ref |
| # | Year | Country | Flag bearer | Birth | Age | Height | Team | Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Period (age of first/last) | G | S | B | T | Ref |
| 1 | 1920 O | Belgium | Victor Boin | 1886 | 34 | | Belgium | FP | 1908 | 1912 | | | | 4 years (22/26) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |

### Oath takers

Some sportspeople from the host nations were chosen to take the Olympic Oath at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. As of the 2020 Summer Olympics, one water polo player from Belgium was given the honour.
As an athlete, Victor Boin of Belgium took the first ever Olympic Oath at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. He was the Belgium flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1920 Olympics.

#### Legend

* – Hosts
* Oath taker$^‡$ – Oath taker who won the tournament with his team
Water polo people who were oath takers at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games :
| # | Year | Oath | Country | Oath taker | Birth | Age | Water polo tournament | Water polo tournament | Water polo tournament | Ref |
| 1 | 1920 | Athletes' Oath | Belgium | Victor Boin | 1886 | 34 | 1908 | 1912 | As player | |