Stanford at the Olympics

Stanford men’s water polo has been a major player on the U.S. Olympic Teams since the early 20th century. In the 23 Summer Games that have taken place since the 1924 Paris Games, Stanford has boasted at least one representative as a player or coach on the U.S. squad on 20 of those occasions. From the trio of Arthur Austin, Elmer Collett and Wally O’Conner in 1924 to the foursome of Tony Azevedo, Alex Bowen, Bret Bonanni and Ben Hallock at the 2016 Rio Games, a total of 34 Stanford men have helped the U.S. capture a total of six Olympic medals (three silver, three bronze).

Of the 34 Stanford graduates that have gone on to be part of the U.S. Olympic Team, five have participated in a playing and/or coaching capacity at least three times. Wally O’Conner represented the U.S. four times (1924, ’28, ’32, ’36), helping the squad to bronze medals at the 1924 Paris Games and the 1932 Los Angeles Games, while Tony Azevedo (2000, ’04, ’08, ’12. '16) helped the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Since 1996, Cardinal alumni Wolf Wigo (1996, 2000, ’04) and Layne Beaubien (2004, ’08, ’12) have represented the U.S. at three Olympic Games, while Austin R. Clapp played for the U.S. at the 1928 and 1932 Games then coached the American squad at the 1948 London Games.

13 additional Stanford alumni have been named to the U.S. Olympic Team as a player or coach on two occasions. Alex Bowen (2016, '20) and Ben Hallock (2016, '20) were the most recent two-timers, each making their second Olympic appearance this past summer in Tokyo. Current Stanford women’s head coach and 1982 graduate John Tanner served as an assistant coach on the U.S. men’s team in 1992 and 2000.

In all, 20 Stanford alumni have won an Olympic medal as a member of the U.S. Men’s Water Polo Olympic Team.

Stanford head coach John Vargas, who took the reins of the Cardinal program in 2002, has thrice been part of the U.S. Olympic Team as well, as a player at the 1992 Barcelona Games, an assistant coach at the 1996 Atlanta Games and as head coach of the squad at the 2000 Sydney Games, where he led the U.S. to a sixth-place finish.