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72-636: The Water Cube (水立方), fully a.k.a. the National Aquatics Centre ( 国家游泳中心 ), is a swimming center at the Olympic Green in Chaoyang , Beijing , China . The Water Cube was originally constructed to host the aquatics competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics . During the 2008 Olympics—where it hosted diving , swimming and synchronized swimming events—25 world records were broken in this facility. In July 2010,

144-530: A capacity of 6,000 (17,000 during the 2008 Olympics)and is located next to the National Stadium .Was the curling venue during the 2022 Winter Olympics . The Beijing National Indoor Stadium ( 国家体育馆 ) or "the Fan" held the handball , artistic gymnastics and trampolining events. With a capacity of 19,000, it was the main indoor arena used during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics,as

216-458: A capacity of 17,000 during the games. It also has a total land surface of 65,000 square meters and covers a total of 32,000 m (7.9 acres). Although called the Water Cube, the aquatic center is really a rectangular box (cuboid) 178 meters (584 ft) square and 31 meters (102 ft) high. The building's popularity has spawned many copycat structures throughout China. For example, there

288-551: A capacity of 17,400. It opened on October 1, 2007. The park itself, outside of the venues constructed on the Olympic Green, hosted some of the athletic events at the 2008 Games. These included the racewalk events, where the loops occurred on the Olympic Green, and the portion of the marathons just outside the National Stadium. The 2008 Summer Olympic Village housed all the participating athletes. The village

360-412: A feature of county fairs and festivals. Men's water polo was among the first team sports introduced at the modern Olympic games in 1900. The present-day game involves teams of seven players (plus up to six substitutes), with a water polo ball similar in size to a soccer ball but constructed of air-tight nylon. One of the earliest recorded viewings of water polo was conducted at the 4th Open Air Fete of

432-420: A more prestigious league which is typically a double round-robin tournament restricted to the elite clubs, and a cup which is a single-elimination tournament open to both the elite and lesser clubs. The rules of water polo cover the play, procedures, equipment and officiating of water polo. These rules are similar throughout the world, although slight variations to the rules occur regionally and depending on

504-633: A part of the International Broadcast Center ( IBC ). It is located near the 2008 Summer Olympics cauldron , on the northwest side of the Bird's Nest Stadium . Completed and opened in 2014, the 246.8-metre-tall (810 ft) Beijing Olympic Tower 's five circular roofs are meant to evoke the Olympic rings; although it has also been described as "a huge nail". The design of the towers themselves were inspired by blades of grass. It

576-408: A player swims from the point to the hole and then out to the strong side wing. The wing moves to the flat and the flat to the point. The weak side wing and flat then control the tempo of play and try to make passes into the player driving towards the centre forward who can then either shoot or pass. This form of offence is used when no dominate hole set is available, or the hole defence is too strong. It

648-416: A renovation of the facility was completed, which included the addition of a 12,000 m (130,000 sq ft) public water park . After renovation and adaptive configuration, the Water Cube also hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics . In July 2003 the Water Cube design was chosen from 10 proposals in an international architectural competition for the aquatic center project. The Water Cube

720-437: Is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal . The team with more goals at the end of the game wins the match. Each team is made up of six field players and one goalkeeper . Excluding the goalkeeper, players participate in both offensive and defensive roles. It

792-432: Is also seen much more often in women's water polo where teams may lack a player of sufficient size or strength to set up in the centre forward. The best advantage to this system is it makes man-coverage much more difficult for the defender and allows the offence to control the game tempo better once the players are "set up". The main drawback is this constant motion can be very tiring as well as somewhat predictable as to where

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864-488: Is based on the Weaire–Phelan structure , a structure devised from the natural pattern of bubbles in soap lather. In the true Weaire–Phelan structure the edge of each cell is curved in order to maintain 109.5 degree angles at each vertex (satisfying Plateau's rules ), but of course as a structural support system each beam was required to be straight so as to better resist axial compression . The complex Weaire–Phelan pattern

936-520: Is in turn used to calculate the "mood" of the Chinese public In 2018, it was reported that the venue had achieved revenues of 124 million yuan (about US$ 18 million), and has been breaking even for years. The Water Cube hosted the curling events during the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics , a configuration nicknamed the "Ice Cube". After Beijing was awarded the Games, work began on renovations to

1008-504: Is little positional play; field players will often fill several positions throughout the game as situations demand. These positions usually consist of a center forward, a center back, the two wing players and the two drivers. Players who are skilled in all positions of offense or defense are called utility players. Utility players tend to come off of the bench, though this is not absolute. Certain body types are more suited for particular positions, and left-handed players are especially coveted on

1080-555: Is made up of 22 6-story buildings and 20 9-story buildings. The Digital Beijing Building served during the Games as the data center . It was the only building on the Green at the time of the Olympics that was not a sporting venue. Since then it has been converted into a museum and an exhibition space for digital technology companies. Chinese architect Pei Zhu designed the distinctive 57-metre-high (187 ft), 11-story building near

1152-597: Is one-to-one copy of the facade near the ferry terminal in Macau – the Casino Oceanus by Paul Steelman . The Aquatics Center hosted the swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming events during the Olympics. Water polo was originally planned to be hosted in the venue but was moved to the Ying Tung Natatorium . Many people believed the Water Cube to be the fastest Olympic pool in the world. Over

1224-660: Is organized within the FINA World Aquatics Championships . Women's water polo was added in 1986. A second tournament series, the FINA Water Polo World Cup , has been held every other year since 1979. In 2002, FINA organised the sport's first international league, the FINA Water Polo World League . There is also a European Water Polo Championship that is held every other year. Professional water polo

1296-460: Is the sixth tallest observation tower in China and the 22nd highest in the world. Visitors can look out over the park and the entire city of Beijing from all five platforms, ranging from 186 to 243 metres (610 to 797 ft) in height. 40°00′10.91″N 116°23′12.01″E  /  40.0030306°N 116.3866694°E  / 40.0030306; 116.3866694 Water polo Water polo

1368-424: Is typically played in an all-deep pool where players cannot touch the bottom. A game consists mainly of the players swimming to move about the pool, treading water (mainly using the eggbeater kick ), passing the ball, and shooting at the goal. Teamwork , tactical thinking and awareness are also highly important aspects. Water polo is a highly physical and demanding sport and has frequently been cited as one of

1440-564: The 1900 games , along with cricket, rugby, football, polo (with horses), rowing and tug of war. Women's water polo became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games after political protests from the Australian women's team . One of the most historically known matches often referred to as the Blood in the Water match , was a 1956 Summer Olympics semi-final match between Hungary and

1512-638: The Bird's Nest stadium while the Sydney-based partners came up with the idea of covering the 'cube' with bubbles, symbolizing water. Contextually, the Cube symbolizes Earth, while the circle (represented by the elliptic stadium) represents heaven, a common motif in ancient Chinese art. Comprising a steel space frame , it is the largest ETFE -clad structure in the world with over 100,000 m of ETFE pillows that are only 0.2 mm (1/125 of an inch) in total thickness. The ETFE cladding , supplied and installed by

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1584-800: The Soviet Union , played in Melbourne . As the athletes left for the games, the Hungarian revolution began, and the Soviet army crushed the uprising. The Hungarians defeated the Soviets 4–0 before the game was called off in the final minute to prevent angry Hungarians in the crowd reacting to Valentin Prokopov punching Ervin Zádor . Every 2 to 4 years since 1973, a men's Water Polo World Championship

1656-492: The field hockey events. It covered an area of 11.87 hectares (29.3 acres) with 2 courts and could seat 17,000 spectators. It was deconstructed after the Games. The Olympic Green Archery Field hosted the archery events. The field occupied 9.22 hectares (22.8 acres) and had a capacity of 5,000. It was dismantled after the Games. The Olympic Green Tennis Center ( 北京奥林匹克公园网球场 ) hosted the tennis and wheelchair tennis events. It has 16 courts (10 competition, 6 practice) and

1728-401: The goalkeeper , are required to float in inner tubes . By floating in an inner tube players expend less energy than traditional water polo players, not having to tread water. This allows casual players to enjoy water polo without undertaking the intense conditioning required for conventional water polo. Surf polo, another variation of water polo, is played on surfboards . First played on

1800-771: The governing body . Governing bodies of water polo include World Aquatics , the international governing organization; European Aquatics , which governs international European matches; the NCAA , which governs collegiate matches in the United States; the NFHS , which governs high schools in the US, and the IOC , which governs Olympic events . There are seven players in the water from each team at one time. There are six players that play out and one goalkeeper. Unlike most common team sports, there

1872-440: The opening and closing ceremonies, athletics , and football finals of the Games. The stadium has room for 91,000 spectators, but the capacity was reduced to 80,000 after the Olympics. It also served as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics . The Beijing National Aquatics Center ( 国家游泳中心 ) or "Water Cube" ( 水立方 ) hosted the swimming , diving and synchronized swimming events. It has

1944-501: The 1870s as a sort of "water rugby ". The game further developed with the formation of the London Water Polo League and has since expanded, becoming popular in parts of Europe, the United States, Brazil, China, Canada and Australia. The history of water polo as a team sport began as a demonstration of strength and swimming skill in mid-19th century England and Scotland, where water sports and racing exhibitions were

2016-400: The 5-meter, roughly at the goal posts, respectively), and one "point" (usually just behind the 5 meter, roughly in the center of the goal, respectively), positioned farthest from the goal. The wings, drivers and point are often called the perimeter players; while the hole-set directs play. There is a typical numbering system for these positions in U.S. NCAA men's division one polo. Beginning with

2088-414: The 7-metre mark and starts to lift their upper body using the eggbeater technique to prepare to block the shot. Finally, the goalkeeper tries to block the ball down, which is often hard for the longer reaches, but prevents an offensive rebound and second shot. As is the case with other defensive players, a goalkeeper who aggressively fouls an attacker in position to score can be charged with a penalty shot for

2160-476: The Aquatic Centre and Convention Center. At the time of the Games, it was the only major facility designed by a Chinese architect. It is meant to explore the relationship between digital forms and traditional Chinese aesthetics, meant to evoke a microchip from two of its façades and a bar code from the other two. The Ling Long Pagoda or Linglong Tower ( Multifunctional Studio Tower ) ( 玲珑塔 ) houses

2232-640: The London Swimming Club, held at the Crystal Palace , London on 15 September 1873. Another antecedent of the modern game of water polo was a game of water 'handball' played at Bournemouth on 13 July 1876. This was a game between 12 members of the Premier Rowing Club, with goals being marked by four flags placed in the water near to the midpoint of Bournemouth Pier. The game started at 6:00 pm and lasted for 15 minutes (when

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2304-715: The ball burst) watched by a large crowd; with plans being made for play on a larger scale the following week. The rules of water polo were originally developed in the late nineteenth century in Great Britain by William Wilson . Wilson is believed to have been the First Baths Master of the Arlington Baths Club in Glasgow. The first games of 'aquatic football' were played at the Arlington in

2376-404: The ball into the centre forward or hole set, positioned directly in front of the goal ("the hole"). Any field player may throw the hole set a "wet pass". A wet pass is one that hits the water just outside the hole set's reach. A dry pass may also be used. This is where the hole set receives the ball directly in his hand and then attempts a shot at the cage. This pass is much more difficult because if

2448-512: The beaches of Waikiki in Hawaii in the 1930s and 1940s, it is credited to Louis Kahanamoku, Duke Kahanamoku 's brother. Canoe polo or kayak polo is one of the eight disciplines of canoeing pursued in the UK, known simply as "polo" by its aficionados. Polo combines paddling and ball handling skills with a contact team game, where tactics and positional play are as important as the speed and fitness of

2520-465: The course of the Games, 25 world records were broken by athletes at the Water Cube, although all but two of them were achieved by swimmers wearing the controversial LZR Racer bodyskin (which led to restrictions on the use of such suits being implemented by FINA in 2010). After the Olympics, the Water Cube was opened to the public on select days of the week beginning in June 2009, and was also used as

2592-408: The defence will take possession of the ball. If an attacker advances inside the 2-metre line without the ball or before the ball is inside the 2-metre area, they are ruled offside and the ball is turned over to the defence. This is often overlooked if the attacker is well to the side of the pool or when the ball is at the other side of the pool. The key to the offence is to accurately pass (or "set")

2664-415: The defender cannot achieve these aims, he may commit a foul intentionally. The hole set then is given a free throw but must pass off the ball to another offensive player, rather than making a direct shot at the goal. Defensive perimeter players may also intentionally cause a minor foul and then move toward the goal, away from their attacker, who must take a free throw. This technique, called sloughing , allows

2736-514: The defense an opportunity to double-team the hole set and possibly steal the inbound pass. The referee may refrain from declaring a foul, if in his judgment this would give the advantage to the offender's team. This is known as the Advantage Rule . Water polo is a contact sport, with little protective gear besides swimsuits and caps with ear protectors, and thus injuries are common. Among the most frequent serious injuries are those affecting

2808-420: The defense has only one skilled "hole D", or to draw in a defender and then pass out to a perimeter player for a shot ("kick out"). Another, albeit less common offense, is the "motion c", sometimes nicknamed "washing machine offence", in which two "weak-side" (to the right of the goal for right-handed players) perimeter players set up as a wing and a flat. The remaining four players swim in square pattern in which

2880-628: The facility to allow it to be converted to a curling rink, including the addition of ice-making equipment and other necessary climate control and monitoring systems. It hosted its first event in this configuration, the China Junior Curling Open, in December 2019. The special award for the most accomplished work in the section Atmosphere is awarded to the Australian architecture firm PTW Architects, CSCEC + Design and Arup for

2952-415: The firm Vector Foiltec , allows more light and heat penetration than traditional glass, resulting in a 30% decrease in energy costs. This choice was made in view of Beijing's goal of presenting a fully "green" Olympic Games, with zero net growth in total carbon emissions. Likewise, the venue was also designed to "capture and recycle 80% of the water falling on the roof or lost from the pools." The outer wall

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3024-424: The five-meter area in front of their own goal: In general, a foul that would cause an ejection of a field player might bring on a five-metre shot on the goalkeeper. Also, if a goalkeeper pushes the ball under water, the action will not be punished with a turnover like with field players, but with a penalty shot. The most basic positional set up is known as a "3–3", so called because there are two lines in front of

3096-408: The foul with one short whistle blow and points one hand to the spot of the foul and the other hand in the direction of the attack of the team to whom the free throw has been awarded. The hole set then has a "reasonable amount of time" (typically about three seconds; there is no FINA rule on this issue) to re-commence play by making a free pass to one of the other players. The defensive team cannot hinder

3168-418: The game for twenty seconds, known as a 'kick out' or an ejection. The attacking team typically positions 4 players on the 2 metre line, and 2 players on 5 metre line (4–2), passing the ball around until an open player attempts a shot. Other formations include a 3–3 (two lines of three attackers each) or arc (attackers make an arc in front of the goal and one offensive player sits in the 'hole' or 'pit' in front of

3240-417: The goal line). It can also be played as a combination of the two in what is known as an " M drop " defence, in which the point defender moves away ("sloughs off") his man into a zone in order to better defend the centre position. In this defence, the two wing defenders split the area furthest from the goal, allowing them a clearer lane for the counter-attack if their team recovers the ball. The goalkeeper has

3312-405: The goal). The five defending players try to pressure the attackers, block shots and prevent a goal being scored for the 20 seconds while they are a player down. The other defenders can only block the ball with one hand to help the goalkeeper. The defensive player is allowed to return immediately if the offence scores, or if the defence recovers the ball before the twenty seconds expires. On defence,

3384-414: The goal. The players at the flat position will attempt to set a screen (also known as a pick) for the driver. If a driver gets free from a defender, the player calls for the pass from the hole set and attempts a shot at the goal. If a defender interferes with a free throw, holds or sinks an attacker who is not in possession or splashes water into the face of an opponent, the defensive player is excluded from

3456-419: The goalkeeper remains in the middle of the goal. The most defensible position is along a semicircular line connecting the goalposts and extending out in the centre. Depending on the ball carrier's location, the goalkeeper is positioned along that semicircle roughly a metre out of the goal to reduce the attacker's shooting angle. The goalkeeper stops using their hands to tread water once the opponent enters at about

3528-512: The head and shoulders. Those induced to the head are usually caused by elbows or the ball itself, while shoulder injuries are a result of grabbing and pushing while throwing the ball or simply of repetitive overexertion of joints and muscles when taking hard shots. The hands and fingers are vulnerable areas, due to contact when opponents attempt to steal the ball, or when players block shots. Other injuries take place underwater, such as leg and groin injuries, as many actions cannot be seen from above

3600-486: The hole set until the free throw has been taken, but the hole set cannot shoot a goal once the foul has been awarded until the ball has been played by at least one other player. If the hole set attempts a goal without the free throw, the goal is not counted and the defence takes possession of the ball, unless the shot is made outside the 5-metre line. As soon as the hole set has a free pass, the other attacking players attempt to swim (or drive ) away from their defenders towards

3672-425: The individual athletes. Flippa ball is a precursor variant intended for younger and beginner players to learn the basics of polo. It is played in shallow water and permits touching the bottom of the pool. Players rotate positions after each score. Little player equipment is needed to play water polo. Items required in water polo include: Men's water polo at the Olympics was the first team sport introduced at

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3744-527: The late 1800s (the club was founded in 1870), with a ball constructed of India rubber. This "water rugby" came to be called "water polo" based on the English pronunciation of the Balti word for ball, pulu . Early play allowed brute strength, wrestling and holding opposing players underwater to recover the ball. Players held underwater for lengthy periods usually surrendered possession. The goalie stood outside

3816-424: The main role in blocking shots against the goal as well as guiding and informing their defense of imposing threats and gaps in the defense. The goalkeeper usually begins the offensive play by passing the ball across the pool to an attacker. It is not unusual for a goalkeeper to make an assisting pass to a goal on a break away. The goalkeeper is given several privileges above those of the other players, but only within

3888-468: The most difficult to play. Special equipment for water polo includes a water polo ball , a ball of varying colors which floats on the water; numbered and coloured caps ; and two goals, which either float in the water or are attached to the sides of the pool. The game is thought to have originated in Scotland in the mid-19th century; specifically, William Wilson is thought to have developed it in

3960-408: The next pass is going to go. When the offence takes possession of the ball, the strategy is to advance the ball down the field of play and to score a goal. Players can move the ball by throwing it to a teammate or swimming with the ball in front of them ( dribbling ). If an attacker uses their arm to push away a defending player and free up space for a pass or shot, the referee will rule a turnover and

4032-419: The offensive wing to the opposing goalie's right side is called one. The flat in a counter clockwise from one is called two. Moving along in the same direction the point player is three, the next flat is four, the final wing is five, and the hole set is called six. Additionally, the position in which a player is can give advantages based on a player's handedness, to improve a shooting or passing angle (for example,

4104-421: The opponent's goal. Another set up, used more by professional teams, is known as an "arc", "umbrella", or "mushroom"; perimeter players form the shape of an arc around the goal, with the hole set as the handle or stalk. Yet another option for offensive set is called a 4–2 or double hole; there are two center forward offensive players in front of the goal. Double hole is most often used in "man up" situations, or when

4176-409: The other team. The goalkeeper can also be ejected for twenty seconds if a major foul is committed. Also, inside the five metre mark, the goalie can swing at the ball with a closed fist without being penalised. If an offensive player, such as the centre forward, has possession of the ball in front of the goal, the defensive player tries to steal the ball or to keep the centre from shooting or passing. If

4248-410: The pass is not properly caught, the officials will be likely to call an offensive foul resulting in a change of ball possession. The hole set attempts to take possession of the ball [after a wet pass], to shoot at the goal, or to draw a foul from his defender. A minor foul is called if his defender (called the "hole D") attempts to impede movement before the hole set has possession. The referee indicates

4320-443: The players work to regain possession of the ball and to prevent a goal in their own net. The defence attempts to knock away or steal the ball from the offense or to commit a foul in order to stop an offensive player from taking a goal shot. The defender attempts to stay between the attacker and the goal, a position known as inside water . Even with good backup from the rest of the defenders, stopping attacks can prove very difficult if

4392-558: The playing area and defended the goal by jumping in on any opponent attempting to score by placing the ball on the deck. Water polo is now popular in many countries around the world, notably Europe (particularly in Spain , France , Netherlands , Germany , Italy , Croatia , Hungary , Serbia , Montenegro , Greece and Romania ), Australia , Brazil, Canada and the United States . Some countries have two principal competitions:

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4464-420: The project National Swimming Center, Beijing Olympic Green, China. The project demonstrates in a stunning way, how the deliberate morphing of molecular science, architecture, and phenomenology can create an airy and misty atmosphere for a personal experience of water leisure Olympic Green Olympic Green was originally constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics . Since then,

4536-480: The right wing is often left handed). The center sets up in front of the opposing team's goalie and scores the most individually (especially during lower level play where flats do not have the required strength to effectively shoot from outside or to penetrate and then pass to teammates like the point guard in basketball, or center midfield player in soccer). The center's position nearest to the goal allows explosive shots from close-range. Defensive positions are often

4608-422: The right-hand side of the field, allowing teams to launch two-sided attacks. The offensive positions include: one center forward (also called a "set", "hole-set", "center", "setter", "hole", or "2-meter man", located on or near the 2-meter, roughly in the center of the goal), two wings (located on or near the 2-meter, just outside of the goal posts, respectively), two drivers (also called "flats", located on or near

4680-405: The same, but just switched from offence to defence. For example, the centre forward or hole set, who directs the attack on offence, on defence is known as "hole D" (also known as set guard, hole guard, hole check, pit defence or two-metre defence), and guards the opposing team's centre forward (also called the hole). Defence can be played man-to-man or in zones , such as a 2–4 (four defenders along

4752-449: The site for a production of Swan Lake among other shows. On 19 October 2009, the Water Cube was closed to the public to begin a renovation of a portion of the complex into a water park , led by Canadian design firm Forrec, promising "seven-story water slides and a wave machine, as well as attractions for the more land inclined such as shopping centers, cafes, and performance stages." The facility officially reopened on 28 July 2010, with

4824-489: The streets around the park have been used for an exhibition street race of the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2011, after a race at Goldenport Park Circuit in the vicinity. It again served as an Olympic Park when Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2022 Winter Paralympics . The Beijing National Stadium ( 国家体育场 ) or "Bird's Nest" ( 鸟巢 ) is the centerpiece of this project. It hosted

4896-419: The surface and not much padding is used to protect the players. Sunburn is a common minor injury in outdoor matches. Players often don't apply sunscreen as it makes their skin, and hence the ball, slippery; FINA and most state governing bodies forbid the use of copious sunscreen to make the body harder for the opposing team to grip. Inner tube water polo is a style of water polo in which players, excluding

4968-680: The venue was the main ice hockey venue. The Beijing National Speed Skating Oval is an arena that was built for the 2022 Winter Olympics . The Olympic Green Convention Center , a.k.a. the National Convention Center ( 国家会议中心 ), held fencing and, the shooting and fencing disciplines of the modern pentathlon . It is also used as the International Broadcast Center and the Main Press Center (for conventions and exhibitions). The center covers an area of 270,000 square meters. The Olympic Green Hockey Field hosted

5040-598: The water park opening on 8 August 2010 (the second anniversary of the Games' opening). The renovation divided the facility into three pool areas (a main pool, Olympic "demonstration" pool, and a training pool), as well as the 12,000 m (130,000 sq ft) water park area. In July 2013, the Water Cube introduced a new LED light show on its exterior, "Nature and Man in Rhapsody of Light", by artist Jennifer Wen Ma and lighting designer Zheng Jiawei. Its colors are determined by trending use of emoji on Sina Weibo , which

5112-462: Was developed by slicing through bubbles in soap foam, resulting in more irregular, organic patterns than foam bubble structures proposed earlier by the scientist Kelvin . Using the Weaire–Phelan geometry , the Water Cube's exterior cladding is made of 4,000 ETFE bubbles, some as large as 9.14 meters (30 ft) across, with seven different sizes for the roof and 15 for the walls. The structure had

5184-433: Was specially designed and built by a consortium made up of PTW Architects (an Australian architecture firm ), Arup international engineering group, CSCEC ( China State Construction Engineering Corporation ), and CCDI ( China Construction Design International ) of Shanghai. The Water Cube's design was initiated by a team effort: the Chinese partners felt a square was more symbolic to Chinese culture and its relationship to

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