Not only swimming at Settecolli. The four Nations will light up the nights at the Stadio del Nuoto and the best of water polo will be involved: Italy, Croatia, Hungary and United States, that move up the final eight of the World League qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio 2016. The races are in programme at the Italcementi swimming pool in Bergamo from 23rd to 28th June. A key event that will raffle the first official pass to Games. The challenge is difficult for all the participants. If Azzurri can’t win the meeting, the next passes will be raffled at the World Championships in Kazan (2), European Championships (1) and at the Olympic qualification competition (3). Italy is training to meet, in more than one month, its main rivals at the World Championships in Kazan. The National water polo male team, guided by coach Alessandro Campagna, has a meeting at the Federal Centre in Ostia from 4th to 12th June. Involved athletes to 4 nations are: Marco Del Lungo, Nicholas Presciutti (AN Brescia), Fabio Baraldi and Alessandro Velotto (CC Napoli), Valentino Gallo and Vincenzo Renzuto Iodice (CN Posillipo), Stefano Luongo (Carpisa Yamamay Acquachiara), Tommaso Busilacchi (Como Nuoto), Matteo Aicardi, Francesco Di Fulvio, Pietro Figlioli, Andrea Fondelli, Massimo Giacoppo, Alex Giorgetti, Stefano Tempesti e Niccolò Gitto (Pro Recco) and Giacomo Bini (BPM Sport Management). The staff is also composed by the assistant Amedeo Pomilio, the team manager Francesco Scannicchio, the psychologist Bruna Rossi, the doctor Gianfranco Colombo, the athletic trainer Alessandro Amato and the physiotherapists Luca Mamprin and Riccardo Cipolat. The matches will be refereed by the Spanish Xavier Buch, the Romanian Adrian Alexandrescu, the Turkish Haldun Toygarli, the American Joe Peila; the representative LEN the German Manfred Vater. Here below the complete programme of the four way competition of water polo (Foro Italico 12-14 June): Friday 12th June 19:30 USA-HUNGARY 20:40 ITALY-CROATIA (broadcasted on Rai Sport 1) Saturday 13th June 19:30 HUNGARY-ITALY (broadcasted on Rai Sport 1) 20:40 CROATIA-USA Sunday 14th June 15:30 CROATIA-HUNGARY 19:30 ITALY-USA (postponed at 22:45 on Rai Sport 2) CROATIA The Croatian national water polo team competes since 1991, when the country obtained its independence from ex Yugoslavia, even if few people know that during the Croatian Independent Government, since 1941 to 1945, the Croatian national water polo team was present. A short but successful history: in twenty-four years of history, the Slavs conquered two Olympic medals (gold in London 2012, silver in Atlanta 1996), four World medals (gold in Melbourne 2001, bronze in Rome 2009, Shanghai 2011, Barcelona 2013), three medals at the European Championships (gold in Zagabria 2010, silver in Florence 1999 and in Kranj 2003) and the victory of the World League in Almaty 2012. Absolute protagonist of several Croatian victories was Ratko Rudic, ex technical coach of Settebello, Olympic champion in Barcelona 1992, who guided the white-reds until 2012 before accepting the proposal to train the Brazilian national male water polo for the Games of Rio de Janeiro 2016. USA The United States is the only extra-european national team to go on the Olympic podium: in 1904 it won the gold at a competition where only three American clubs were involved. In addition to this medal it won also other six Olympic ones. It is the most qualified team at continental level. It went on podium of the Pan-American Games 15 times and ranked first for 11 times. The “stars and stripes” national team has always been a protagonist of important events, being able to win all its rivals. In addition of the gold medal of 1904, USA conquered three silver (Los Angeles, 1984, Seoul 1988 and Beijing 2008) and bronze medals (Paris 1924, Los Angeles 1932 and Monaco 1972), without forgetting the victory of two World Cups (Barcelona 1991 and Athens 1997). The technical trainer is a sport icon: Terry Schroeder, the only American to win an Olympic silver both as a player (1984 and 1988) and as a coach (2008). HUNGARY An absolute power of water polo in the world. It is the most qualified national water polo team. It won 9 Olympic gold (three consecutive: Sidney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008), 3 World, the last in Barcelona in 2013, and 12 European medals, in addition to three World Cups and two World League. Overall, it went on podium 59 times at the five main international water polo competitions. Among several victories, the Hungarians played a sad match called the “blood into the water” (in Hungarian language: Melbourne-ivÈrf¸rdo), at Melbourne Olympic Games against URSS that invaded their country. Their trainer is Tibor Benedek, also well-known in Italian water polo. The current Hungarian technical coach played for twenty years in our A1 league, before with the Rome team and then for ten years with Recco team that, under his guide, won the shooter category in 2002, 6 Championships, 4 Eurolega, 4 Coppe Italia, 4 Supercoppe Len and one Lega Adriatica.