Named the seventh-best male athlete in the world in 2003 by Men’s Journal, Azevedo is also arguably the world’s greatest competitor in one of it’s more demanding sports: water polo. He burst onto the scene with thirteen goals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a college freshman. He would be named National Water Polo Player of the year three consecutive years. And after leading Stanford to NCAA championships in 2001 and 2002, Azevedo led the 2003 FINA World League in goals and came in second in 2004.
In his second Olympic appearance at the 2004 Athens games, Azevedo’s buzzer-beating goal (and third of the 7-6 game) in the opening match saved the day for the Americans. He would go on to record fifteen goals in seven games, good for second at the Olympics, and was named 2004 U.S. Olympic Committee Water Polo Male Athlete of the Year.
The Skinny:
Stanford’s all-time leading scorer
Three-time National Water Polo Player of the Year
4-time All-American
Arguably the greatest water polo player in history
The Rest of the Story:
Azevedo nearly died at the age of five when he badly damaged his esophagus after falling on his throat while climbing a fence. After being airlifted to a Long Beach hospital, Azevedo had to be revived twice on the operating table. Within three years he was active in sports, playing baseball, volleyball, basketball and football. Water polo became a focus of his in high school.
