Boris Popov: The Czar of Water Polo

Boris Popov, born in Moscow on 1941, is one of the most representative personalities of the Soviet/Russian Water Polo. Boris Popov started his carrier back on 1955 playing for the team of “CSK” Moscow. On 1960 he moved to “MGU” Moscow playing until 1973 the year that “MGU” won the European Champions Cup. Boris Popov was a member of the bronze medalist USSR team at Tokyo 1964. In 1974 he became coach of the Junior Soviet team winning the 1975 and 1978 European Juniors Championships. After the World Championships in Berlin, 1978 Vladimir Semyonov has been replaced by Boris Popov at the head of the USSR team. Boris Popov led the USSR team to the Gold in Moscow 1980, Olympic Games and then to Seoul 88 (bronze) and Barcelona 92 (bronze). After 1993 he left the Russian National team and came back on 1997 until 1999. He coached with great success the USSR team during several European Championships: Split 1981(silver), Rome 1983 (gold), Sofia 1985 (gold), Strasbourg 1987 (gold), Bonne 1989 (gold), Athens 1991 (bronze) and Seville 1997 (bronze) European Championships.
Source: “Bodnoe Polo” by Mikhail RyzhakLEN “; various sources