When it comes to the current Olympic Games, water polo has been around for quite some time. The competition began on July 23 in Tokyo and featured both men and women.
Water polo has been around for quite some time, but the rules are still foreign to many. This article will tell you everything you need to know about water polo at the Olympics, including how deep the pool is.
A Primer on Olympic Water Polo
While many people associate the Olympics with swimming, water polo is another exciting sport that takes place in a pool.
Dating back to 1900, water polo has a lengthy history as an Olympic sport.
However, the women’s competition didn’t debut until the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Two teams, each with seven players, battle it out by passing, catching, and shooting.
After four 8-minute halves, the victor is the team with the most goals.
Shots often reach speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour, making for a frantic and exciting game.
How Deep is an Olympic Water Polo Pool?
Of course, there’s a bit more nuance to the regulations in practise.
For instance, teams only have 30 seconds to fire during attacks.
It is also forbidden for any player’s feet to contact the pool’s bottom at any time throughout the game.
In water polo, though, how deep is the pool? The depth is at least 2 metres, so you won’t have to worry about your feet becoming stuck.
In several games, players are free to make physical contact with one another at any time. Physically harming a player or, even worse, splashing water in someone’s face, is not tolerated.
Tokyo’s Olympic Water Polo (so far)
This year’s water polo competition began on July 23 and will continue through August 8.
Already, we’ve seen a relatively large upset. Australia’s men’s water polo team overcame Croatia 11-8 to earn their first victory of the games.
Water polo is a strength for Croatia, who took home silver in Rio in 2016 and gold in London in 2012.
Australia had never beaten them before.
Similarly, there was a surprise in the women’s division. In recent years, the U.S. team has dominated water polo, culminating in the country’s first water polo gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
The 2021 squad is undefeated at 19-0, however they did suffer their first Olympic defeat since 2008, a 10-9 setback against Hungary.
The United States squad still has a chance to advance to the elimination stage. On Friday the 30th of July, they will take on ROC.
