Nikolaos Papanikolaou Named to Greek Olympic Water Polo Team

The forner Cal star was a three-time national champion and Cutino Award winner

Nikolaos Papanikolaou /

Nikolaos Papanikolaou, one of the greatest water polo players in Cal history, achieved a major career goal Sunday when he was named to the 13-man Greek Olympic team roster.

Papanikolaou completed his Cal career last season with a long list of impressive accomplishments: 

— Three-time NCAA champion on teams that posted a combined record of 69-11

— Three-time winner of the Peter J, Cutino Award as the nation’s best player

— Five-time ACWPC All-American

— Second-leading scorer in Cal history with 253 goals

After winning MVP honors at the NCAA championships last season, Papanikolaou, 23, signed professionally with the Greek team Panathinaikos while aiming to land a spot on the Greek senior national team.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder helped his new team exceed expectations, leading them to a semifinal appearance in the playoffs of the highest-level Greek league.

He was among 21 players who arrived at training camp for the Greek national team at the start of June and this weekend he made the cut to compete at the Olympics for the first time.

Papanikolaou will be among four former Golden Bears competing in Paris. Luca Cupido, Johnny Hooper and Adrian Weinberg, Papanikolaou’s teammate and the goaltender on Cal’s three championship teams, all will represent the U.S.

The water polo tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 27-Aug. 11. Greece plays its first preliminary-round match against Romania on July 28.