Armando Fernández

Armando Fernández was a member of the gold medal-winning water polo team at the 1975 Pan American Games, playing with his home country Mexico. He also won silver medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974 and 1978, and represented Mexico at the 1972 München and 1976 Montréal Olympics. In München he scored 11 of 25 Mexico’s goals and in Montréal 16 of 36.

Fernández then moved to Berlin to study journalism, and also started playing water polo for Wasserfreunde Spandau 04, helping them to win the European Champions Cup in 1982, 1985-86, and 1989. He also won 12 national titles with Spandau.

In 1984 Fernández received German citizenship so that he could compete for West Germany at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 1984 the team won the bronze medal and in 1988 they finished fourth, losing the bronze medal match 14-13 against the Soviet Union. In 1985 he won a bronze medal at the European Championships, and also won the World Cup.