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Men's water polo
at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad

Medal ceremony (left Hungary, right Serbia)
Tournament details
Host country	China
City	Beijing
Venue(s)	Ying Tung Natatorium
Dates	10–24 August 2008
Teams	12 (from 4 confederations)
Competitors	153
Final positions
Champions	Hungary (9th title)
Runners-up	United States
Third place	Serbia
Fourth place	Montenegro
Tournament statistics
Matches	44
Goals scored	784 (17.82 per match)
Multiple appearances	5-time Olympian(s): 1 4-time Olympian(s): 10
Multiple medalists	3-time medalist(s): 10
Top scorer(s)	Alessandro Calcaterra (27 goals in 8 matches)
Most saves	Stefano Tempesti (83 saves in 8 matches)
Top sprinter(s)	Pietro Figlioli (21 sprints won in 7 matches)
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The men's tournament of water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, People's Republic of China, began on 10 August and lasted until 24 August 2008.^[1] All games were held at the Ying Tung Natatorium.

Teams from twelve nations competed, seeded into two groups for the preliminary round. 44 games were played, 30 of them in the preliminary round (each team played the other teams in the group). Seven classification games and seven games in the medal round were also played.

The format of water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics:^[2]

• Twelve teams are divided into two preliminary groups,^[3] composed of six teams each, and play a single round robin in each group.
• The first placed team of each group will have a bye. The second and third placed teams will play against each other in a cross-group format. Losers go on to play a series of classification games.
• The fifth and sixth placed teams from each group in the preliminary round play against each other in a cross-group format to determine who will play for places 9–12. These games make up part of the quarterfinal round. The fourth placed teams from each group have a bye in this round. The losers of the classification games in the quarterfinal round will play for places 11–12. The winners of the classification games in the quarterfinal round will play the fourth placed teams from each group to determine who will play for places 7–10. These games are part of the semifinal round. The losers of the classification 7–10 games will play each other for places 9–10. The winners will play for places 7–8.
• Winners from the quarterfinal will progress to the semifinals and play against the first placed teams in each group of the preliminary round. Losers go on to play classification games.
• Winners of the semifinals will contest the gold medal game and the losers the bronze medal game.

Bracket

	7th–12th					7th–10th					7th–8th
						A4	Australia	17
	B5	Italy	13			B5	Italy	16
	A6	Canada	11								8	Australia	8
											7	Greece	9
						B4	Germany	9
	A5	Greece	13			A5	Greece	13
	B6	China	8
						11th–12th					9th–10th
						11	Canada	8			9	Italy	10
						12	China	7			10	Germany	8

Classification 7th–12th

20 August 2008 09:30	Report	Canada	11–13	Italy	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Rak (CRO), Ni (CHN)
		Score by quarters: 1–4, 3–2, 3–3, 4–4
		Graham 4, Miller 2	Goals	Sottani 3, Gallo 2, Felugo 2, Calcaterra 2

20 August 2008 10:50	Report	Greece	13–8	China	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Balfanbayev (KAZ), Knights (NZL)
		Score by quarters: 3–1, 4–4, 2–0, 4–3
		Ntoskas 4, G. Afroudakis 3, C. Afroudakis 2	Goals	Xie 3, Wang Yo. 2

Classification 11th–12th

22 August 2008 09:30	Report	Canada	8–7	China	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Koryzna (POL), Argyros (GRE)
		Score by quarters: 1–1, 3–1, 1–2, 3–3
		Boyd 2, Sayegh 2	Goals	Yu 2, Han 2

Classification 7th–10th

22 August 2008 10:50	Report	Australia	17–16	Italy	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Moliner Molins (ESP), Chaney (USA)
		Score by quarters: 4–2, 1–5, 4–0, 1–3  OT: 0–1, 3–2, 4–3 (PS)
		McGregor 3, Franklin 2, Figlioli 2, Maitland 2, Martin 2, Whalan 2	Goals	Calcaterra 6, Gallo 2, Felugo 2, Angelini 2, Sottani 2

22 August 2008 17:00	Report	Germany	9–13	Greece	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Ciric (SRB), Patelli (BRA)
		Score by quarters: 3–3, 1–3, 2–4, 3–3
		Nossek 3, Schertwitis 2, Kreuzmann 2	Goals	Ntoskas 6, Schizas 3, Theodoropoulos 2

Classification 9th–10th

24 August 2008 09:30	Report	Italy	10–8	Germany	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Rak (CRO), Hart (AUS)
		Score by quarters: 4–3, 1–1, 1–1, 4–3
		Calcaterra 5, Gallo 2, Angelini 2	Goals	Savic 2, Schertwitis 2, Schlotterbeck 2

Classification 7th–8th

24 August 2008 10:50	Report	Australia	8–9	Greece	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Simion (ROU), Pinker (RSA)
		Score by quarters: 2–3, 2–2, 3–1, 1–3
		Figlioli 3, Campbell 2, Martin 2	Goals	Schizas 2, C. Afroudakis 2

Bracket

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Gold medal game

A1

Hungary

11

B2

Croatia

6

A3

Montenegro

9

A3

Montenegro

7

Hungary

14

United States

10

B1

United States

10

A2

Spain

5

B3

Serbia

5

B3

Serbia

9

5th–6th

Bronze medal game

5

Spain

11

Serbia

6

6

Croatia

9

4

Montenegro

4

Quarterfinals

20 August 2008 16:00	Report	Montenegro	7–6	Croatia	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Tulga (TUR), Bock (GER)
		Score by quarters: 3–1, 2–3, 1–0, 1–2
		N. Janović 2, Ivović 2, Gojković 2	Goals	Hinić 2

20 August 2008 17:20	Report	Spain	5–9	Serbia	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijinb Referees: Turcotte (CAN), Klopper (NED)
		Score by quarters: 1–0, 1–5, 1–2, 2–2
		Molina 2	Goals	Pijetlović 4, Ćirić 2, Vujasinović 2

Classification 5th–6th

24 August 2008 13:00	Report	Croatia	9–11	Spain	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Chaney (USA), Kiszelly (HUN)
		Score by quarters: 2–0, 3–5, 1–3, 3–3
		Bušlje 2, Đogaš 2	Goals	X. García 4, Minguell 3, F. Perrone 2

Semifinals

22 August 2008 18:20	Report	Hungary	11–9	Montenegro	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Simion (ROU), Tulga (TUR)
		Score by quarters: 3–4, 3–3, 3–0, 2–2
		Kiss 3, Madaras 2	Goals	N. Janović 2, Uskoković 2, Gojković 2

22 August 2008 19:40	Report	United States	10–5	Serbia	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Turcotte (CAN), Margeta (SLO)
		Score by quarters: 3–3, 2–1, 2–1, 3–0
		Azevedo 3, Beaubien 2, Bailey 2	Goals	Pijetlović 2, Vujasinović 2

Bronze medal game

24 August 2008 14:20	Report	Montenegro	4–6	Serbia	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Tulga (TUR), Margeta (SLO)
		Score by quarters: 0–2, 1–2, 1–2, 2–0
		M. Janović 2	Goals	Savić 2

Gold medal game

24 August 2008 15:40	Report	Hungary	14–10	United States	Ying Tung Natatorium, Beijing Referees: Turcotte (CAN), Brguljan (MNE)
		Score by quarters: 6–4, 3–4, 2–1, 3–1
		Dá. Varga 3, Biros 3, Dé. Varga 2	Goals	Azevedo 4, Beaubien 2, Smith 2

Media All-Star Team^[22]

• Goalkeeper
  • Merrill Moses (70 saves)
• Field players
  • Tony Azevedo (17 goals, 2 sprints won)
  • Péter Biros (13 goals, 3 sprints won)
  • Alessandro Calcaterra (centre forward, 27 goals)
  • Mlađan Janović (13 goals, 5 sprints won)
  • Felipe Perrone (16 goals)
  • Dániel Varga (8 goals)

• Water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament