Water Polo Men -
Games of the XIX Olympiad - Mexico City 1968

The Yugoslav water polo team achieved their first Olympic triumph at the seventh Games they took part in, following three second places (Helsinki 1956, Melbourne 1956 and Tokyo 1964). They defeated the USSR after the overtimes 13:11. The final bout saw both Yugoslavia and the USSR fighting for their first Olympic gold. The “blues” failed to win the title in the regular time, though they had a lead of 9:6 four and a half minutes before the end of the last quarter.
The “blues” played excellent defence in the match completely checking the Soviets who scored all of their 11 goals from the four-metre line, kindly gifts of the Belgian referee Fuchs. The last such goal won them a tie (they never once took a lead during the match) and overtimes. However, the first overtime period (at the time two three-minute overtimes were played) was enough for the “blues” to secure the victory by scoring two goals, as their rivals failed to overcome Yugoslavia’s goalie Stipanić.
The scorers were Marović (5), Sandić (3), Bonačić (3), Janković (1) and Trumbić (1). Zoran Janković set what remains an unparalleled record: he is the only water polo player to score 10 goal in a single game. The record was set in a match against Japan, in which the “blues” triumphed with 17:2.
Head coach Aleksandar Sajfert led the team, and as only 11 player were presented with medals, the second goalkeeper Zdravko Hebel was denied his Olympic gold.

GOLD MEDALLISTS

Karlo STIPANIĆ, born in Crikvenica on 8 December 1941. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 97.
Ivo TRUMBIĆ, born in Split on 21 January 1943. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 140.
Ozren BONAČIĆ, born in Zagreb on 5 January 1942. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 96.
Uroš MAROVIĆ, born in Belgrade on 4 July 1946. Club: Partizan (Belgrade).
National team appearances: 36.
Ronald LOPATNI, born in Zagreb on 18 September 1944. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 70.
Miroslav POLJAK, born in Zagreb on 3 September 1941. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 42.
Zoran JANKOVIĆ, born in Zenica on 8 January 1940. Club: Partizan (Belgrade).
National team appearances: 106.
Dejan DABOVIĆ, born in Herceg-Novi on 3 August 1944. Club: Partizan (Belgrade).
National team appearances: 17.
Đorđe PERIŠIĆ, born in Kotor on 6 May 1941. Club: Partizan (Belgrade).
National team appearances: 68.
Mirko SANDIĆ, born in Belgrade on 9 May 1942. Club: Partizan (Belgrade).
National team appearances: 144.
Zdravko HEBEL, born in Zagreb on 8 December 1941. Club: Mladost (Zagreb).
National team appearances: 29.

YUGOSLAVIJA, water polo, men, GOLD MEDAL
(15 teams, 15 nations)

RESULTS
Yugoslavia - UAR 13:2 (2:1, 1:0, 5:1, 5:0)
Yugoslavia – German Democratic Republic 4:4 (0:0, 0:1, 3:1, 1:2)
Yugoslavia – Mexico 9:0 (2:0, 3:0, 1:0, 3:0)
Yugoslavia - Netherlands 7:4 (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 1:1)
Yugoslavia - Italy 4:5 (1:1, 2:2, 0:2, 1:0)
Yugoslavia – Greece 11:1 (3:0, 4:0, 1:1, 3:0)
Yugoslavia - Japan 17:2 (6:1, 2:1, 5:0, 4:0)
Yugoslavia - Hungary 8:6 (1:0, 1:3, 2:2, 4:1)
Yugoslavia - USSR 11:11 (2:3, 3:2, 3:1, 3:5), overtime 13:11

RANKING
1. YUG (7 1 1 86:35)
2. URS (6 2 0 62:36)
3. HUN (6 2 0 54:26)
4. ITA (6 2 1 57:38)
5. USA (5 2 1 49:43)
6. GDR (6 2 1 78:30)
7. HOl (5 3 1 53:39)
8. CUB (3 4 1 38:51)