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Polo at the 1920 Summer Olympics

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Men's polo
at the Games of the VII Olympiad
Polo pictogram
VenueOstend
Dates25–31 July 1920
Competitors17 from 4 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Great Britain national polo team
 Great Britain
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Spain national polo team
 Spain
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) United States Polo Association
 United States
← 1908
1924 →

Polo returned to the Olympic program at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, after not being contested at the 1912 Games. Four teams competed. Great Britain repeated as Olympic champions (though they had all three teams competing in 1908, so had won then without international competition). Spain took silver. The United States beat Belgium in the bronze medal match.

Background

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This was the third time that polo was played at the Olympics; the sport had previously appeared in 1900 and 1908 and would appear again in 1924 and 1936. Each time, the tournament was for men only.[1]

Belgium and Spain made their debut in polo in 1920. Great Britain made its third appearance; it was the only nation to compete in all five editions of the Olympic polo tournament. The United States made its second appearance.

Competition format

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The competition was a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match. With 4 teams, the tournament began at the semifinals round.

Medalists

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Gold Silver Bronze
 Great Britain (GBR)
Teignmouth Philip Melvill
Frederick W. Barrett
John, Lord Wodehouse
Vivian Lockett
 Spain (ESP)
Leopoldo Saínz de la Maza, 1st Count of la Maza
Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba
Hernando Fitz-James Stuart, 14th Duke of Peñaranda
Álvaro de Figueroa, 2nd Marquess of Villabrágima
José de Figueroa y Alonso-Martínez
 United States (USA)
Arthur Harris
Terry Allen
John Montgomery
Nelson Margetts

The Belgian team finished in fourth place, with Alfred Grisar, Maurice Lysen, Clément Van Der Straten and Gaston Peers de Nieuwburgh representing them.

Bracket

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Semifinals Finals
      
1  Spain (ESP) 13
4  United States (USA) 3
 Spain (ESP) 11
 Great Britain (GBR) 13
3  Great Britain (GBR) 8
2  Belgium (BEL) 3 Third place
 United States (USA) 11
 Belgium (BEL) 3

References

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  1. ^ "Polo, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 April 2021.