For the first time in Olympic history, the Women’s Water Polo Tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Games will feature 12 teams—matching the men's competition in a landmark moment for the sport and gender parity.
LAUSANNE—Another significant step towards gender parity in sports was confirmed today as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board officially approved the expansion of the Women’s Water Polo Tournament to 12 teams for the LA28 Games.
This decision follows last week’s approval by the Olympic Programme Commission of World Aquatics’ recommendation to expand the Women’s Water Polo Tournament from 10 teams to 12. Today, the IOC Executive Board unanimously endorsed this change, ensuring equal participation for men’s and women’s teams at LA28.
World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam applauded the news, saying:
“This is an historic achievement for women's water polo. Expanding the Olympic tournament to 12 teams not only ensures gender parity but also reflects the sport’s remarkable growth and global reach. We look forward to an incredible competition in Los Angeles.”
Women’s Water Polo History at the Olympics
Women’s water polo made its Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games when six countries competed in the tournament. Host Australia won the inaugural gold medal, defeating the United States 4-3 in a dramatic final, with Yvette Higgins scoring the game-winning goal in the final seconds.
Reflecting the sport’s growing depth and competitiveness, the field expanded to eight teams at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and ten teams for Tokyo 2020.
Spain is the defending Olympic champion in women’s water polo. The United States leads the all-time medal table in women’s water polo with three gold, two silver, and one bronze, followed by Australia (one gold, one silver, three bronze) and Spain (one gold, two silver). The Netherlands (Beijing 2008) and Italy (Athens 2004) have also won Olympic gold.
Women’s Water Polo at the World Aquatics Championships
Women's water polo debuted at the FINA World Championships (now the World Aquatics Championships) in 1986, during the 5th edition of the event in Madrid, Spain.
The tournament featured nine teams, with Australia winning the inaugural gold medal, followed by the Netherlands (silver) and the United States (bronze).
The World Aquatics Championships first featured 12 women’s teams at the 1994 edition in Rome, Italy. At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, both the women’s and men’s water polo tournaments were expanded to 16 teams.