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Int. J. Morphol.,
41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
Tokyo 2021 Olympic Water Polo Champions and Their
Anthropometric Characteristics and Body Composition
Compared to Other Players
Campeones Olímpicos de Waterpolo de Tokio 2021 y sus Características
Antropométricas y Composición Corporal en Comparación con Otros Jugadores
Ivan Vasiljevic & Jovan Gardasevic
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body
composition compared to other players. Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
SUMMARY: The Olympic Games always offer great interest when it comes to water polo. Currently, many selections have an
approximate quality and details determine who will win. Prior to the tournament the authors wanted to verify body composition and
anthropometric characteristics of players of the three national teams, Serbia, the United States of America (USA) and Montenegro. The
purpose of this research was to determine the differences in body composition and anthropometric characteristics between the water polo
players of the national team of Serbia and Olympic champion in Tokyo 2021, the national team of USA which took sixth place and the
national team of Montenegro, which took the eighth place. Body mass index, fat percentage and muscle mass (body composition variables)
were evaluated by Bioelectric Impedance type MC-980 and body height, body weight, triceps skinfold, biceps skinfold, skinfold of the
back, abdominal skinfold, upper leg skinfold, lower leg skinfold (other anthropometric characteristics) were evaluated by an anthropometer
and a calliper. ANOVA showed that there was a statistically significant difference in fat percentage. The LSD post hoc test showed
statistically significant differences between the water polo players of the Montenegrin national team (13.33 %) compared to the water
polo players of the USA national team (16.67 %). It can be stated that water polo players from Montenegro had a statistically significantly
lower fat percentage than water polo players from the USA and a lower level of fat than water polo players from Serbia, though this was
not statistically significant. Although the fat percentage is a disruptive factor with athletes, it had no effect on the result at the Olympic
Games in Tokyo, because Serbia eventually won the gold medal, the USA obtained sixth place, and Montenegro eighth place. It means
that some other abilities influenced the results at the Tokyo Olympics in water polo, for example tactical, physical, psychological,
technical... which is to be shown by some other research.
KEY WORDS: Water polo players; Body composition; Anthropometric characteristics; Olympic Games.
INTRODUCTION
Water polo is a popular sport worldwide. It is a highly
dynamic and fast team game that, with its richness of
movement, belongs to the category of polystructural sport
games (Gardasevic et al., 2019). Water polo is a sport
characterized by numerous and various complex and
dynamic physical activities, which are then characterized
by either cyclical or acyclical movement. It is full-contact
sport, and rapidly growing sport in the World, characterized
by different swimming intensities, duelling, acceleration and
deceleration (Ferragut et al., 2011; Kondric et al., 2012). In
water polo, top scores can be achieved only under conditions
of a well-programmed training process (Botonis et al., 2016).
High quality management of the training process depends
on knowing the structure of certain anthropological
capabilities and water polo players’ characteristics, as well
as their development (Lupo et al., 2016). Various studies
have been carried out to establish certain principles and
norms for the transformational processes of the
anthropological characteristics necessary for water polo, with
anthropometric characteristics and body composition among
some (Milanovic & Vuleta, 2013; Gardasevic et al., 2020).
Findings regarding anthropometric characteristics and body
composition are of crucial importance for complex sports,
such as water polo (Gardasevic et al., 2020). The
anthropometric space is defined by the longitudinal
dimension of the skeleton, the transversal dimensionality of
Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, Niksic, Montenegro.
Received: 2023-09-03 Accepted: 2023-10-15
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the skeleton, and the mass and volume of the body. The
purpose of knowing anthropometric characteristics is to
improve skills in many sports (Masanovic et al., 2018). The
resulting morphological status of an athlete is impacted by
the genetic heritage and the adaptation changes caused by
training or nutrition (Barr et al., 1994). The anthropometric
status of top-level athletes is relatively homogeneous,
depending on the sport, and can be defined as a model of
athletic achievement. Research on anthropometric
characteristics and body composition among athletes of
different sports indicates that athletes of different sports have
specific characteristics (Popovic et al., 2013), mostly because
absolute size contributes a significant percentage of total
variance associated with athletic success (Carvajal et al.,
2012). Achievement in water polo, among other things,
depends on the anthropometric characteristics of athletes,
namely height and body mass (Hraste, 2023). Morphological
characteristics that may be significantly influenced by
training are muscle tissue volume and the quantity of
subcutaneous adipose tissue (Hraste, 2023). Muscle mass
improves performance in activities that require muscular
strength and endurance, but also in those that require enviable
aerobic ability (Rico-Sanz, 1998).
It is well known that water polo in Serbia, the United
States and in Montenegro has a long tradition and the best
results in international competitions, especially Serbia and
Montenegro. Serbia has been Olympic, world and European
champion several times. This national team won the gold
medal at the last two summer Olympic Games. The USA
was once the Olympic champion. Montenegro, as a part of
the former Yugoslavia, of which Serbia was also a part, won
gold medals in world competitions. Since 2006, Montenegro
has been an independent country and in 2008 was the
European champion. Those are the three national teams that
are top-ranked in water polo in the world.
I
t was expected that these national teams would
continue with good results on the summer Olympic Games in
Tokyo (Japan) 23 July to 8 August 2021. Originally scheduled
to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Olympic
Games were postponed to 2021 due to the global COVID-19
pandemic, the first such instance in the history of the Olympic
Games. It is the most important competition in water polo and
the best players of these national teams were present. It is a
well-known fact in all sports and in water polo that long-term
and intensive training is one of the critical factors that enable
athletes to reach and remain at the elite representative level
(Tan et al., 2009; McCluskey et al., 2010; Alcaraz et al., 2012).
It was interesting for researchers to determine the models of
anthropometric characteristics and body composition of the
water polo players who played for these three national teams
at the Olympic Games, to determine statistically significant
differences and whether this affected their final placement
in that competition.
This research aimed to determine the anthropometric
characteristics and body composition of the water polo
players of the national teams that participated in the 2021
Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Serbia (gold medal) the
United States of America (sixth place) and Montenegro
(eighth place). The variables between these water polo
players were compared and possible differences between
them were determined.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Sample of subjects. A sample of the subjects consisted from
a total of 48 water polo players was divided into three sub-
samples. The first sub-sample of the subjects consisted of 13
water polo players of the national team of Serbia, average age
of 23.38±3.84, which won the gold medal at the Olympic
Games in Tokyo 2021. The other sub-sample consisted of 16
water polo players of the national team of the United States of
America, average age of 24.56±4.13, who occupied the sixth
position at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. The last sub-
sample of the examinees consisted of 19 water polo players
of the national team of Montenegro, average age of 24.16±5.69,
who occupied the eighth position on same Olympic Games
(Table I).
Table I. Final rankings (08/08/2021) at the men's
water polo tournament in Olympic Games in
Tokyo 2021.
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body composition compared to other players.
Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
National teams Place
Serbia 1 (gold medal)
Greece 2 (silver medal)
Hungary 3 (bronze medal)
Spain 4
Croatia 5
USA 6
Italy 7
Montenegro 8
Australia 9
Japan 10
Kazakhstan 11
South Africa 12
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Players of the Serbian, USA and Montenegrin
national teams were tested at the final preparation tournament
in Podgorica (Montenegro), before the Olympic Games in
Tokyo. All participants signed the consent form approved
by the Institutional Review Board of the University of
Montenegro, which was in accordance with the Declaration
of Helsinki (World Medical Association, 2013).
Sample of measures. Anthropometric research has been
carried out with respect to the basic rules and principles
related to the selection of measuring instruments and
measurement techniques, standardized in accordance with
the International Biological Program guidelines. For this
study, eight anthropometric measures have been analyzed:
body height, body weight, triceps skinfold, biceps skinfold,
skinfold of the back, abdominal skinfold, upper leg skinfold
and lower leg skinfold. An anthropometer, calliper, and
measuring tape were used for anthropometric measurements.
To evaluate the body composition a Bioelectric Impedance
type MC-980 model BC-418MA was used. For this study,
three variables assessed body composition: body mass index,
fat percentage and muscle mass. Bioelectric Impedance is
based on the principle of the indirect measurement of the
body composition; a safe electrical signal is transmitted
through the body via electrodes located in the standalone
unit. The Bioelectric Impedance enables athletes to closely
monitor their body weight, health condition and form with
all relevant parameters.
Method of data processing. The data obtained through the
research were processed using descriptive and comparative
statistical procedures. For each variable, central and
dispersion parameters have been processed. The significance
of the differences between the water polo players of the three
national teams in the anthropometric characteristics and
variables for assessing body composition was determined
by ANOVA and LSD Post Hoc tests, with statistical
significance of p<.05.
RESULTS
The variables for assessing anthropometric
characteristics and body composition of water polo players
of Serbian, USA, and Montenegrin national teams are shown
in Table II.
Based on the central and dispersion parameters of
the water polo players of Serbia, USA, and Montenegro
(Table II), it can be stated that values of all variables are
very similar in water polo players of these three countries.
The analysis of Table II shows that according to the values
of the body mass index (BMI), all water polo players of all
three national teams are at the borderline value of over
nutrition. However, if we look at the value of muscle mass,
it is clear that these are elite athletes and that muscle mass
raises the total body weight, and thus the BMI value.
There were significant differences only in one
variable among the water polo players of the three national
teams. ANOVA test found significant difference for fate
percentage (F=3.425; p<.05). The LSD Post Hoc test showed
that there is a statistically significant difference in this
variable between the water polo players of the USA and the
water polo players of Montenegro, while the water polo
players of these two national teams did not have statistically
significant differences with the water polo players of Serbia
(Fig. 1).
The LSD Post Hoc test showed that fat percentage of
water polo players of the two national teams, USA and
Montenegro, is significantly different. The water polo players
of Montenegro had the lowest fat percentage (13.33), while
the water polo players of USA had the highest fat percentage
(16.67) and it was statistically significant. The water polo
players of Serbia had a higher fat percentage (14.68) than
water polo players of Montenegro, and less than water polo
Table II. Descriptive data and ANOVA of 46 water polo players, members of the three national teams.
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body composition compared to other players.
Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
Serbia USA Montenegro ANOVA
Variables Mean±Standard Devia tion F Si g.
body height 191.02±4.95 191.49±5.93 191.79±4.76 .084 .920
body weight 92.21±8.26 95.95±10.74 92.59±8.73 .763 .472
triceps skinfold 5.65±2.01 6.26±1.33 5.81±2.24 .415 .663
biceps ski nfold 5.06 ±1.41 5.56 ±1.26 5.17 ±1.40 .579 .564
skinfold of the back 11.91±3.57 11.53±3.35 11.73±4.42 .034 .966
abdominal skinfold 17.09±7.24 13.96±7.58 14.29±7.05 .788 .461
upper leg skinfold 13.35±4.14 12.98±4.11 12.39±3.66 .241 .787
lower leg skinfold 9.31±2.75 8.52 ±2.66 9.02 ±3.63 .245 .784
bod y ma ss in dex 25 .32 ±2.6 8 26.1 6± 2.48 25.2 4± 1. 88 .7 81 .4 64
fat percentage 14.68±3.92 16.67±3.83 13.33±3.61 3.425 .041
*
muscle mass 42.9 5±3.24 43.61±3.49 43.04 ±2.79 .195 .823
1761
players of USA, but these differences were not statistically
significant.
Montenegrin national team have a statistically significantly
lower percentage of fat than USA national team players, and
lower than Serbian national team players, but not statistically
significantly. Considering that Montenegro took the weakest
position of these three national teams at the Olympic Games,
it can be concluded that the lowest percentage of fat did not
significantly affect the final ranking at the Olympic
tournament, compared to the other two national teams. For
other variables, some values are better for water polo players
of the Serbian national team, some for those of the USA
national team and some for those of the Montenegrin national
team, although, insignificant for statistics. All of the
abovementioned indicates that water polo players of the
Serbian, USA, and Montenegrin national teams have similar
anthropometric parameters and body compositions.
According to the results of (Mazza et al., 1994;
Lozovina & Pavicic, 2004; Vila et al., 2010) the mean value
of body height and body mass in elite water polo players were
ranging between 184.2 and 189.5 cm and 85.9 and 89.2 kg,
respectively. This study showed that the trend of recent years
in water polo is higher body height and body weight of elite
water polo players, because the water polo players of these
three national teams are on average 191.02 cm to 192.79 cm
tall, and have an average body weight of 92.21 kg to 95.95 kg.
Based on the obtained results in this research, before
the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, it could not be
assumed which national team would achieve a better
placement. The national team of Serbia is always the favourite
for the highest ranking, confirming the forecasts by winning
the gold medal, so it can be concluded that body composition
and anthropometric characteristics did not decide the final
ranking, but some other parameters probably did, which may
be a better technical and tactical preparation, or physical and
mental preparation... The Olympic Games showed that of the
eight best national teams in the tournament, nuances decided
the final ranking confirming that these are the best water polo
players in the world.
Results showed that water polo players of the three
national teams have different levels of subcutaneous adipose
tissue, which is known to be a disruptive factor for athletes
(Pavlovic et al., 2021). Also, in previous studies of water polo
players, subcutaneous adipose tissue has been shown to be a
disruptive factor in defence (Milanovic & Vuleta, 2013). It is
well known that a low fat percentage is desirable for high
physical performance in all sports. Although not every body
composition characteristic is expected to play a role in optimal
performance in professional sport, lower levels of body fat
(that are specific to each player) are desirable for optimal
performance, as body mass must be moved against gravity
(Rienzi et al., 2000; Gil et al., 2007).
DISCUSSION
This study aimed to determine the difference in the
anthropometric characteristics and body composition of the
water polo players of the Serbian national team, who won a
gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo (Japan) 2021, the
water polo players of the USA national team, occupied the
sixth position, while water polo players of the Montenegro
national team occupied the eight position in Tokyo. The results
were obtained using a battery of eleven tests in the area of
anthropometric characteristics and body composition. In
relation to the ranking at the end of the Olympic Tournament
of these national teams, which all played in the quarter-finals,
where the Serbian national team won the gold medal, it can
be concluded that we have analyzed the best selected water
polo players in the world at this moment. It can be observed
that the water polo players of three national teams have
approximately similar mean values of all variables analyzed,
which is not surprising since these are the three national teams
in countries where water polo is popular and water polo
coaches are highly skilled. Water polo players in these countries
have years of training experience and spend many hours in
the pool each week. The ANOVA results showed that water
polo players of three national teams differ significantly in only
one variable compared to the results achieved at the Olympic
Games in Tokyo 2021. When the national teams reach the
quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament, only nuances decide
which team goes to compete for a medal, and which competes
for placement from fourth to eighth place. Only in fat
percentage, did the water polo players of these representatives
show a statistically significant difference. Players of the
Fig. 1. LSD Post Hoc test for the fat percentage *- p<.05
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body composition compared to other players.
Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
1762
In addition, all the water polo players of these three
national teams had similar muscle mass values; water polo is
a strenuous sport that takes place in water and requires
significant muscle mass (Botonis et al., 2018). Body height is
important for swimming, and long arms are important for kicks
and defense (De Jesus et al., 2012); however, there were no
statistically significant differences between the water polo
players of the three national teams, which is perhaps surprising,
considering that the Serbian national team won the gold medal
at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, and the Montenegrin
and USA national teams lost in the quarter-final of the
competition. The reason for the different placement may be
found in the different levels of technical and tactical
preparation, physical preparation, and functional and
psychological preparation between water polo players of the
three teams. Many teams have video analysts who analyse the
opponent in detail and present it to their players. Based on
that, a strategy is made for that opponent, which may also be
a reason for the different ranking. It is possible that the Serbian
national team was the best prepared in that area compared to
other national teams. Physical preparation in such hard
competitions is essential because the games were played almost
every day, and this was not analyzed. Experience of water
polo players at this level of competition can be the reason for
different placement. Based on our findings, the Serbian water
polo team has the most experience.
Given that the concentration of the best water polo
players was at Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, the assumption
is that the mean values of the analyzed variables of three
national teams’ water polo players could be the model values
for all water polo players in the world (Table III).
This study also has certain limitations. The average values
of all players were analyzed, but more precise results would
have been obtained if the players were analyzed by their
position in the pool, considering that it is known that different
playing positions in team sports require different
anthropometric types of players and body composition.
Another limitation is the number of national teams analyzed,
however, the authors were only able to reach those national
teams who performed at the joint pre-Olympic tournament in
Montenegro.
The recommendation for follow-up research is that in
addition to anthropometric measurements and determination
of body composition of water polo players, other tests must
be added such as determination of the technical-tactical level
of preparedness, physical level, functional level and
psychological profile.
CONCLUSIONS
Out of the eleven variables analysed between the
Olympic water polo champion and the two national teams
that played in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament,
there were no statistically significant differences except for
one, the body fat percentage. The lowest-ranked national
team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo out of the three
analyzed, Montenegro, had the lowest percentage of body
fat in its players. However, this variable did not significantly
affect the final ranking. The values obtained in this research
may be useful for all water polo coaches in the world for
making a comparison of anthropometric characteristics and
body composition and prepare their training process in a
way that enables the reduction of adverse parameters, and
raise benefits to a higher level. The results obtained in this
research can serve as model parameters for the estimated
variables for water polo players of all clubs in Serbia, USA,
and Montenegro, because the players analyzed were the best
and most successful participants in the Olympic Games in
Tokyo (Japan) 2021.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The authors wish to thank the
members of the Water Polo Association of Serbia, USA and
Montenegro for their cooperation.
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Campeones olímpicos
de waterpolo de Tokio 2021 y sus características antropométricas
y composición corporal en comparación con otros jugadores. Int.
J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
RESUMEN: Los Juegos Olímpicos siempre ofrecen un
gran interés en lo que respecta al waterpolo. Actualmente, muchas
selecciones tienen una calidad aproximada y los detalles determinan
quién ganará. Antes del torneo, los autores deseaban comprobar la
composición corporal y las características antropométricas de los
jugadores de las tres selecciones nacionales: Serbia, Estados Unidos
Table III. Descriptive data of all 48 water polo players.
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body composition compared to other players.
Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
Variables Mean±Std. Dev.
age 24.08±4.67
body height (cm) 191.48±5.13
body weight (kg) 93.61±9.29
triceps skinfold (mm) 5.92±1.89
biceps skinfold (mm) 5.27±1.34
skinfold of the back (mm) 11.71±3.79
abdominal skinfold (mm) 14.94±7.25
upper leg skinfold (mm) 12.85±3.88
lower leg skinfold (mm) 8.93±3.06
body ma ss index (kg/m
2
) 25 .57 ±2.31
fat percentage (%) 14.81±3.96
mu scle mass (kg) 43.21 ±3.10
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(EE.UU.) y Montenegro, que siempre tienen las mayores
ambiciones en las grandes competiciones. El propósito de esta
investigación fue determinar las diferencias en composición
corporal y características antropométricas entre los jugadores de
waterpolo de la selección nacional de Serbia, que fue campeona
olímpica en Tokio 2021, la selección nacional de Estados Unidos
que ocupó el sexto lugar y la selección nacional de Montenegro,
que acabó octavo. El índice de masa corporal, el porcentaje de
grasa y la masa muscular (variables de composición corporal) se
evaluaron mediante Impedancia Bioeléctrica tipo MC-980 y la
altura corporal, el peso corporal, el pliegue del tríceps, el pliegue
del bíceps, el pliegue de la espalda, el pliegue abdominal, el pliegue
de la parte superior de la pierna y la parte inferior de la pierna. Los
pliegues cutáneos (otras características antropométricas) fueron
evaluados mediante un antropómetro y un calibrador. ANOVA
mostró que había una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en
el porcentaje de grasa. La prueba post hoc de LSD mostró
diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los jugadores de
waterpolo de la selección nacional de Montenegro (13,33 %) en
comparación con los jugadores de waterpolo de la selección de
Estados Unidos (16,67 %). Se puede afirmar que los jugadores de
waterpolo de Montenegro tenían un porcentaje de grasa
estadísticamente significativamente menor que los jugadores de
waterpolo de EE. UU. y un nivel de grasa más bajo que los jugadores
de waterpolo de Serbia, lo que no es estadísticamente significativo.
Aunque el porcentaje de grasa es un factor perturbador para los
atletas, no tuvo ningún efecto en el resultado de los Juegos
Olímpicos de Tokio, ya que al final Serbia ganó la medalla de oro,
Estados Unidos quedó en sexto lugar y Montenegro en el octavo
lugar. Esto significa que en los resultados de los Juegos Olímpicos
de Tokio en el waterpolo influyeron otras habilidades, por ejemplo
tácticas, físicas, psicológicas y técnicas, tal como lo demostrarán
investigaciones a futuro.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Jugadores de waterpolo;
Composición corporal; Características antropométricas;
Juegos olímpicos
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Corresponding author:
Jovan Gardasevic, PhD
University of Montenegro
Faculty for Sport and Physical Education
Narodne omladine bb
81400 Niksic
MONTENEGRO
E-mail: jovan@ucg.ac.me
VASILJEVIC, I. & GARDASEVIC, J. Tokyo 2021 Olympic water polo champions and their anthropometric characteristics and body composition compared to other players.
Int. J. Morphol., 41(6):1758-1763, 2023.
