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|
| Daniel
LOPEZ |
| Sport |
Water Polo |
| NOC |
Spain
|
| Gender | Men |
| Born | 16 Jul 1980
in Sabadell, ESP |
| Height | 1.91 m |
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Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
CN Atletic-Barceloneta: Spain |
Preferred position / style / stance / technique |
Goalkeeper |
Handedness |
Right |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
Catalan, English, Spanish |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Elvis Fatovic [club], CRO |
General Interest |
Hero / Idol |
Croatian water polo player Frano Vican. (ufecbloc.cat, 20 Jun 2016) |
Sport Specific Information |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
He took up the sport at age 12 at Maristas Les Corts school in Barcelona, Spain. |
International Debut |
Year |
2007 |
Competing for |
Spain |
Tournament |
World League |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Athlete |
Family |
Daughter Paula [2014] |
General Interest |
Injuries |
He damaged the ligament and tendon of the little finger of his right hand during the 2017/18 season. (waterpolista.com, 18 May 2018) |
Ambitions |
To win the Champions League with the CN Atletic-Barceloneta club. (lavanguardia.com, 17 Oct 2020) |
Awards and honours |
He was named Best Goalkeeper at the 2020 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary. (total-waterpolo.com, 26 Jan 2020)
In 2019 he received the Medal of Sports Merit from the Spanish Swimming Federation [RFEN]. (rfen.es, 03 Oct 2019)
He was named Best Goalkeeper of the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. (fina.org, 27 Jul 2019)
He was named Best Goalkeeper of the 2018 European Championships in Barcelona, Spain. (lesportiudecatalunya.cat, 27 Dec 2018) |
Nicknames |
El Muro [The Wall]. (rtve.es, 27 Jul 2019; sobreelwaterpolo.blogspot.com, 12 Nov 2018) |
Other information |
RARE GOAL
He scored a goal during the bronze medal match of the 2019 World League against Australia. He was able to score because of a rule that had been introduced to allow goalkeepers to enter the opposition's half. "It was a nice coincidence because we are just adapting [to the new rules], but I don't think goalies scoring will be a usual thing. Goalkeepers will come out only in desperate situations or the last play of the game. In other cases, it is too dangerous because making a change in water polo is slow and there are too many risks." (lavanguardia.com, 01 Jul 2019; wpdworld.com, 23 Jun 2019)
POSSIBLE RETIREMENT
In 2020 he expressed his intention to retire in 2022. "I also thought I would stop after Rio [the 2016 Olympic Games], and then after the 2018 European Championship because it took place in Barcelona [in Spain]. But you feel well each time and you continue. The time never comes to quit. I've been deciding season by season for the last four or five years. At this age you don't know when the physical and mental slump will hit. But at the moment I am having fun training and playing games. Being able to dedicate yourself to something you like is a privilege, it is something that practically does not exist in everyday life. I really enjoy the day to day." (lavanguardia.com, 17 Oct 2020) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
He has been passionate about sports from an early age. "I remember that the baseball team of Barcelona wanted to sign me. My grandfather took me to the children's room, where I could hit balls that were thrown by a machine. I did it fine. I was restless. I needed to touch a ball every second." He was later introduced to water polo by a physical education teacher. |
Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Barcelona, ESP |
Olympic Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 4 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
Team |
|
| 7 |
2016 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
Team |
|
| 6 |
2012 |
London, ENG |
Team |
|
World Championship |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2019 |
Gwangju, KOR |
Team |
|
| 9 |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
Team |
|
| 5 |
2013 |
Barcelona, ESP |
Team |
|
| 5 |
2011 |
Shanghai, CHN |
Team |
|
| 2 |
2009 |
Rome, ITA |
Team |
|
World Cup |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 3 |
2010 |
Oradea, ROU |
Team |
|
European Championship |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2020 |
Budapest, HUN |
Team |
|
| 2 |
2018 |
Barcelona, ESP |
Team |
|
| 5 |
2016 |
Belgrade, SRB |
Team |
|
| 7 |
2012 |
Eindhoven, NED |
Team |
|
| 8 |
2010 |
Zagreb, CRO |
Team |
|
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