This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Croatia men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.

The Croatia men's national water polo team has participated in 7 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. Related team: Yugoslavia men's Olympic water polo team† (statistics). Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Legend

– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – The nation did not participate in the Games – Qualified for forthcoming tournament Team† – Defunct team

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 24 Years — — — — Part of Yugoslavia 2 7 10 6 1 2 5 2 8 † — — — — 10 9 2 2 4 2 1 5 5 2 1 1 Defunct 12 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 12

Number of appearances Last updated: 18 June 2026.

Men's team Apps Recordstreak Activestreak Debut Mostrecent Best finish Confederation 8 8 8 1996 2024 Champions Europe – LEN

Best finishes Last updated: 27 July 2021.

Men's team Best finish Apps Confederation Champions (2012) 7 Europe – LEN

Finishes in the top four Last updated: 18 June 2026.

Men's team Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last 3 1 (2012) 3 (1996, 2016, 2024) 1996 2024

Medal table Last updated: 18 June 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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: 27 July 2021.

Abbreviation Eff % – Save efficiency (Saves / Shots)

Year CapNo. Goalkeeper Birth Age Saves Shots Eff % ISHOFmember Note Ref 1996 1 Siniša Školneković 28 77 135 57.0% Starting goalkeeper 12 Maro Balić 25 0 0 — 2000 1 Siniša Školneković (2) 32 33 70 47.1% 12 Frano Vićan 24 23 42 54.8% 2004 1 Frano Vićan (2) 28 41 81 50.6% Starting goalkeeper 5 Goran Volarević 27 11 32 34.4% 2008 1 Frano Vićan (3) 32 49 94 52.1% Starting goalkeeper 13 Josip Pavić 26 5 9 55.6% 2012 1 Josip Pavić (2) 30 85 121 70.2% Starting goalkeeper 13 Frano Vićan (4) 36 10 16 62.5% 2016 1 Josip Pavić (3) 34 24 45 53.3% Flag bearer for Croatia 13 Marko Bijač 25 57 98 58.2% 2020 1 Marko Bijač (2) 30 13 Ivan Marcelić 27 Year CapNo. Goalkeeper Birth Age Saves Shots Eff % ISHOFmember Note Ref Sources: Official Reports (PDF): 1996 (pp. 62–66, 70, 72–73); Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 48, 51, 54, 79, 82, 86–87, 92), 2004 (pp. 191–192), 2008 (pp. 190–191), 2012 (pp. 471–472), 2016 (pp. 109–110).

Top sprinters The following table is pre-sorted by number of total sprints won (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the sprinter (in ascending order), respectively.

* Number of sprinters (30+ sprints won, since 2000): 0 Number of sprinters (20–29 sprints won, since 2000): 1 Number of sprinters (10–19 sprints won, since 2000): 2 Number of sprinters (5–9 sprints won, since 2000): 4 Last updated: 15 May 2021.

Abbreviation Eff % – Efficiency (Sprints won / Sprints contested) CRO – Croatia ESP – Spain

+ Male players with 5 or more sprints won at the Olympics (statistics since 2000) Rk Sprinter Birth Totalsprintswon Totalsprintscontested Eff % Water polo tournaments(sprints won / contested) Age offirst/last ISHOFmember Note Ref 1 2 3 4 5 1 Maro Joković 25 36 69.4% 2008(16/21) 2012(7/13) 2016(2/2) 20/28 2 Xavier García 14 28 50.0% 2004ESP(5/12) 2008ESP(7/11) 2012ESP(1/4) 2016CRO(1/1) 20/32 Sandro Sukno 14 19 73.7% 2012(11/16) 2016(3/3) 22/26 4 Tihomil Vranješ 9 24 37.5% 2004(9/24) 26/26 5 Anđelo Šetka 8 14 57.1% 2016(8/14) 30/30 6 Samir Barać 6 21 28.6% 2000(5/19) 2004(1/2) 2008(0/0) 2012(0/0) 26/38 Luka Bukić 6 12 50.0% 2016(6/12) 22/22 Source: Official Results Books (PDF): 2000 (pp. 48, 51, 54, 79, 82, 86–87, 92), 2004 (pp. 191–192), 2008 (pp. 190–191), 2012 (pp. 471–472), 2016 (pp. 109–110).

Coach statistics

Medals as coach and player 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 winning the last Olympic medal (in ascending order), year of winning the first Olympic medal (in ascending order), name of the person (in ascending order), respectively. Last updated: 5 May 2021.

Ratko Rudić won a silver medal for Yugoslavia at the 1980 Summer Olympics. As a head coach, he led Croatia men's national water polo team to win an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

Rk Person Birth Height Player Head coach Total medals Ref Age Men's team Pos Medal Age Men's team Medal G S B T 1 Ratko Rudić 32 FP 1980 64 2012 1 1 0 2

Olympic champions

2012 Summer Olympics

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, three male water polo players were given the honour to carry the flag for Croatia.

Legend – Opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics – Closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics 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 Period(age offirst/last) Medals Ref 1 2 3 4 5 G S B T 1 1996 O Croatia Perica Bukić 30 FP 1984 1988 12 years(18/30) 2 1 0 3 FP 1996 2 2004 O Croatia Dubravko Šimenc 37 FP 1988 16 years(21/37) 1 1 0 2 FP 1996 2000 2004 3 2016 O Croatia Josip Pavić 34 GK 2008 2012 2016 8 years(26/34) 1 1 0 2

See also Yugoslavia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics List of men's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics Lists of Olympic water polo records and statistics Croatia at the Olympics

References

Sources

ISHOF

External links Croatia men's national water polo team – Official website Olympic water polo – Official website