List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo
This is a list of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo.[1]
Men
Medalists by tournament
- Abbreviation and legend
- * – Host team
- † – Defunct team
.svg.png){kind=small}
Multiple gold medalists
The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), date of receiving the last gold medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first gold medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
Serbian player Slobodan Nikić is the first and only male athlete to win three gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.[2]
There are forty six male athletes who won two gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.
- Legend
- – Hosts
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Men's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
Medals | Ref | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | S | B | T | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Slobodan Nikić | 1983 | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) |
.svg.png){kind=small} Serbia and Montenegro |
FP | 2003 | 2005 | 12 years (20/32) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | [2] | |||||
 Serbia |
2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | |||||||||||||
Multiple medalists
The following table is pre-sorted by total number of medals (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), date of receiving the last medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
Seventeen male athletes won five or more medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships. Aside from Serbian player Slobodan Nikić[2], all others were members of the Spain men's national water polo team (10 players) and Croatia men's national water polo team (6 players). Brazilian-born Spanish player Felipe Perrone[3] and Croatian Andro Bušlje[4] are the only athletes (man or woman) to win seven medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.
- Legend
- – Hosts
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Men's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
Medals | Ref | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | S | B | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Felipe Perrone | 1986 | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
 Spain |
FP | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 24 years (15/39) |
2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | [3] | ||||
 Brazil |
2001 | 2003 | 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Andro Bušlje | 1986 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) |
 Croatia |
FP | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 14 years (19/33) |
2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | [4] | ||||||
| 3 | Maro Joković | 1987 | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) |
Croatia |
FP | 2007 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 12 years (19/31) |
2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | [5] | ||||||||
| 4 | Slobodan Nikić | 1983 | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) |
Serbia and Montenegro |
FP | 2003 | 2005 | 12 years (20/32) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | [2] | ||||||||||||
| Serbia |
2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Marko Bijač | 1991 | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Croatia |
GK | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 12 years (22/34) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [6] | ||||||
| Alejandro Bustos | 1997 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (20/28) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [7] | |||||||||
| Sergi Cabañas | 1996 | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 6 years (23/29) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [8] | ||||||||||
| Miguel de Toro | 1993 | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (23/31) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [9] | |||||||||
| Álvaro Granados | 1998 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (18/26) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [10] | |||||||||
| Marc Larumbe | 1994 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 6 years (25/31) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [11] | ||||||||||
| Luka Lončar | 1987 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Croatia |
FP | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2024 | 2025 | 12 years (26/38) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [12] | |||||||||
| Eduardo Lorrio | 1993 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) |
Spain |
GK | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 6 years (25/31) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [13] | ||||||||||
| Alberto Munárriz | 1994 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2013 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 12 years (19/31) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [14] | ||||||||
| Roger Tahull | 1997 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (20/28) |
2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | [15] | |||||||||
| 15 | Blai Mallarach | 1987 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2009 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 15 years (21/36) |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | [16] | |||||||||
| 16 | Josip Pavić | 1982 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Croatia |
GK | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 14 years (19/33) |
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | [17] | |||||||
| Sandro Sukno | 1990 | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Croatia |
FP | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 8 years (19/27) |
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | [18] | ||||||||||
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Men's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
G | S | B | T | Ref | |||||||||||||
| Medals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Women
Medalists by tournament
- Abbreviation and legend
- * – Host team
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
Multiple gold medalists
The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the player (in ascending order), date of receiving the last gold medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first gold medal (in ascending order), respectively.
Fourteen female athletes won three or more gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships. They were all members of the United States women's national water polo team. Rachel Fattal, Maddie Musselman and Maggie Steffens are the only athletes (men or women) to win five gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.
There are twenty six female athletes who won two gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.
- Legend
- – Hosts
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Women's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
Medals | Ref | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | S | B | T | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Rachel Fattal | 1993 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
 United States |
FP | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 11 years (19/30) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [19] | |
| Maddie Musselman | 1998 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
United States |
FP | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 8 years (17/25) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [20] | |||
| Maggie Steffens | 1993 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
United States |
FP | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 12 years (18/30) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [21] | |
| 4 | Kaleigh Gilchrist | 1992 | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
United States |
FP | 2015 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 8 years (23/31) |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | [22] | |||
| Ashleigh Johnson | 1994 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
United States |
GK | 2015 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 9 years (20/29) |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | [23] | ||||
| Amanda Longan | 1997 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
United States |
GK | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (20/28) |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | [24] | |||
| 7 | Heather Petri | 1978 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
United States |
FP | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 10 years (23/33) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | [25] | ||
| Brenda Villa | 1980 | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
United States |
FP | 1998 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 13 years (17/31) |
3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | [26] | ||
| 9 | Kami Craig | 1987 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
United States |
FP | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 8 years (19/28) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [27] | |||
| Makenzie Fischer | 1997 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
United States |
FP | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 4 years (18/22) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [28] | ||||||
| Kiley Neushul | 1993 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
United States |
FP | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 6 years (20/26) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [29] | |||||
| Jordan Raney | 1996 | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
United States |
FP | 2017 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 6 years (21/27) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [30] | |||||
| Melissa Seidemann | 1990 | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
United States |
FP | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 8 years (21/29) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [31] | ||||
| Alys Williams | 1994 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
United States |
FP | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 4 years (21/25) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | [32] | ||||||
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Women's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
G | S | B | T | Ref | |||||||
| Medals | |||||||||||||||||||
Multiple medalists
The following table is pre-sorted by total number of medals (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), name of the player (in ascending order), date of receiving the last medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first medal (in ascending order), respectively.
Nine female athletes won five medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships. Spanish player Anni Espar[33] is the only female athlete to win six medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.
- Legend
- – Hosts
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Women's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
Medals | Ref | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | S | B | T | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Anni Espar | 1993 | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 14 years (18/32) |
1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | [33] | ||
| 2 | Rachel Fattal | 1993 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
United States |
FP | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 11 years (19/30) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [19] | ||||
| Maddie Musselman | 1998 | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) |
United States |
FP | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 8 years (17/25) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [20] | ||||||
| Maggie Steffens | 1993 | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
United States |
FP | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 12 years (18/30) |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | [21] | ||||
| 5 | Laura Ester | 1990 | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Spain |
GK | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 15 years (19/34) |
1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | [34] | ||
| Pili Peña | 1986 | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 18 years (19/37) |
1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | [35] | |
| 7 | Paula Crespí | 1998 | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (19/27) |
0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | [36] | ||||||
| Paula Leitón | 2000 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 10 years (15/25) |
0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | [37] | |||||
| Beatriz Ortiz | 1995 | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Spain |
FP | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 8 years (22/30) |
0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | [38] | ||||||
| Rk | Player | Birth | Height | Women's team | Pos | Water polo tournament | Period (age of first/last) |
G | S | B | T | Ref | ||||||||||
| Medals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
- Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
- List of World Aquatics Championships men's water polo tournament records and statistics
- List of World Aquatics Championships women's water polo tournament records and statistics
- List of world champions in men's water polo
- List of world champions in women's water polo
- List of Olympic medalists in water polo
Notes
- ^ a b After the breakup of Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia men's national water polo team participated at the 1998 and 2001 World Aquatics Championships. In 2003, after the country was renamed from FR Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro, the team was also renamed to "Serbia and Montenegro men's national water polo team".
References
- ^ "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 14, 57. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Slobodan Nikić". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Felipe Perrone". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Andro Bušlje". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Maro Joković". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Marko Bijač". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Alejandro Bustos". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Sergi Cabañas". worldaquatics.com. Worldaquatics. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Miguel de Toro". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Álvaro Granados". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Marc Larumbe". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Luka Lončar". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Eduardo Lorrio". worldaquatics.com. Worldaquatics. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Alberto Munárriz". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Roger Tahull". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Blai Mallarach". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Josip Pavić". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Sandro Sukno". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Rachel Fattal". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Maddie Musselman". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Maggie Steffens". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Kaleigh Gilchrist". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Ashleigh Johnson". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Amanda Longan". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Heather Petri". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Brenda Villa". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Kami Craig". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Makenzie Fischer". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Kiley Neushul". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Jordan Raney". gostanford.com. Gostanford. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Melissa Seidemann". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Brenda Villa". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Anni Espar". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Laura Ester". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Pili Peña". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Paula Crespí". worldaquatics.com. Worldaquatics. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Paula Leitón". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ "Beatriz Ortiz". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
Sources
Official Reports (FINA)
PDF documents on the FINA website:
- HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics (as of September 2019) (archive) (pp. 14–18, 57–62)
Official Results Books (FINA)
PDF documents on the Omega Timing website:
- 12th World Championship (2007)
PDF documents on the Sport Result website:
- 13th World Championship (2009)
- 14th World Championship (2011)
- 15th World Championship (2013)
- 16th World Championship (2015)
- 17th World Championship (2017)
- 18th World Championship (2019)
- 19th World Championship (2022)
- 20th World Championship (2023)
- 21st World Championship (2024)
Olympedia
Water polo on the Olympedia website:
Todor66
Water polo on the Todor66 website:
- Water Polo World Championship
- Men's Water Polo World Championship
- Women's Water Polo World Championship
- 1973 World Championship (men's tournament)
- 1975 World Championship (men's tournament)
- 1978 World Championship (men's tournament)
- 1982 World Championship (men's tournament)
- 1986 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 1991 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 1994 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 1998 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2001 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2003 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2005 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2007 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2009 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2011 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2013 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2015 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2017 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2019 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2022 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2023 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2024 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
- 2025 World Championship (men's tournament, women's tournament)
External links
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