Cornelis (Nijs) KOREVAAR

Nijs Korevaar started swimming as a teenager, and competed in the national championships in the post-war years. His real strength, however, lay in water polo. As a full-back, he first made the national team in 1946, a period when the Dutch team was among the strongest in the world. At the 1948 Olympics, he earned a bronze medal, and in 1950, won the European title with the Dutch squad. They were among the favorites for the 1952 Olympics, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals when ordered a replay against Yugoslavia for unclear reasons. Korevaar remained with the national team until the late 1950s. Playing for DZV Merwede in the Netherlands, Korevaar later migrated to Switzerland, where he played for SC Horgen, the most successful Swiss team at the time. His son, Jan Jaap Korevaar, also played water polo internationally, competing in the 1980 Olympics.