At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a water polo tournament was contested, with three club teams of seven players each.[1] A German team tried to enter, but its entry was refused because their players did not play for the same club.[2]
The event took place in an artificial lake in Forest Park, the location of both the Olympics and the World's Fair.[3] Two of the Olympians died of typhoid fever soon after the competition, possibly from contamination caused by livestock at the opposite end of the lake.[2][4][5]
Previously, the International Olympic Committee and International Swimming Federation (FINA) considered the water polo event at the 1904 Olympics as a demonstration sport.[1] However, in July 2021, after accepting the recommendation of Olympic historian Bill Mallon, the IOC recognized water polo along with several others as an official sport of the 1904 Olympic program.[6]
