{{short description|American water polo player (born 1965)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Craig Klass | image = | caption = | fullname = Edward Craig Klass | nationality = American | birth_date = {{birth date and age text|June 20, 1965}} | birth_place = Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany | collegeteam=Stanford University | sport =Water Polo | position = Center Forward<br>(2-meter position) | club =Concord Athletic Club | height =195 cm | weight =98 kg | coach =Dante Dettamanti, (Stanford) | headercolor = lightsteelblue | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's water polo }} {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalSilver | 1988 Seoul | Men's water polo }} }}
'''Edward Craig Klass''' (born June 20, 1965, in Wiesbaden, Hessen) is a former water polo player who competed for Stanford University, and won the silver medal for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Craig Klass was born June 20, 1965, in Wiesbaden, Hessen. He attended Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, California, where he played water polo from 1979-1983, and was coached by John Hilton. During his high school career, from 1981-1982, he was a High School All American, and scored an impressive 104 goals in three years of varsity play. He was named first team at the North Coast Invitational, and was a Foothill Athletic League choice, by unanimous voting. A multi-sport athlete, Klass also played basketball for Las Lomas in 1983.<ref name=WPHOF>{{cite web|url=https://usawaterpolo.org/honors/hall-of-fame/craig-klass/84|title=USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Craig Klass|access-date=March 29, 2026}}</ref><ref name=goals>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/758109922/?match=1&terms=%22Craig%20Klass%22%20AND%20%22Las%20Lomas%20High%22|title="Las Lomas's Gretsky", ''Oakland Tribune'' Oakland, California, December 11, 1982, pg. 33|access-date=March 29, 2026}}</ref>
During his High School years from 1981-1982, Klass played water polo for the Concord Athletic Club, and in 1991 played for the Newport Club.<ref name=WPHOF/>
== Stanford University == Klass attended and played water polo for Stanford University where he was managed by Coach Dante Dettamanti.<ref name=Dettamanti>{{cite web|url=https://usawaterpolo.org/honors/hall-of-fame/dante-dettamanti/161|title=USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Dante Dettamanti|access-date=March 29, 2026}}</ref> While at Stanford, Klass helped the team capture NCAA championship team titles in both 1985 and 1986, and received honors as an All-American successively from 1984-86. As an upperclassman in 1986, he was named NCAA Player of the Year.<ref name=WPHOF/>
==1988 Olympic silver medal== Klass won a team silver medal in water polo in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In the final round, the United States led the gold medalist team by 5-2 in the third quarter. Quickly responding, Yugoslavia scored four successive goals to take a 6-5 lead, then the American team tied the close match, taking the score to 6-6. In overtime, Yugoslavia scored the first three goals to lead 9-6, finally taking the gold medal with a score of 9-7. The team from the Soviet Union took the bronze.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54939|title=Olympedia Biography, Craig Klass|access-date=March 29, 2026}}</ref>
Klass also competed for the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain where the U.S. team placed fourth with Italy taking the gold, Spain taking the silver, and the Unified Team taking the bronze. Yugoslavia and Spain were the early favorites for the gold, but Yugoslavia was banned from competing as a team due to their actions in the Bosnian and Croatinan war.<ref name=Olympedia/><ref>{{cite web|title=Craig Klass (2000) |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=84 |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=18 September 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404224546/https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=84 |archive-date=2020-04-04 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=18 September 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531173820/https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |archive-date=2019-05-31 }}</ref>
In elite international competition, in 1991, Klass was part of the U.S. team that won a silver medal in the Pan American Games in La Habana (Havana), Cuba, and in the same year was part of the U.S. team that won a gold medal in the World Championships.<ref name=WPHOF/>
After his time as an elite competitor, Klass played Master's water polo for the Olympic Club in greater San Francisco from 1991-2000. During club play in 1991, 1993, and 1995, he was part of United States Water Polo national championship teams. In 1992, he played as part of a National Indoor Championship team in water polo.<ref name=WPHOF/>
===Honors=== In 2000, Klass became an inductee to the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.<ref name=WPHOF2>{{cite web|title=Craig Klass (2000) |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=84 |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=18 September 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404224546/https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=84 |archive-date=2020-04-04 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=USA Water Polo |access-date=18 September 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531173820/https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |archive-date=2019-05-31 }}</ref> In 1989, Klass was a United States Olympic Committee Athlete of the Year.<ref name=WPHOF/>
In professional pursuits, Klass has worked as a physical therapist.<ref name=Olympedia/>
==See also== * List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Sports links}}
{{United States men's water polo squad 1988 Summer Olympics}} {{United States men's water polo squad 1991 FINA World Cup}} {{United States men's water polo squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klass, Craig}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American male water polo players Category:Stanford Cardinal men's water polo players Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in water polo Category:Water polo players at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Water polo players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Sportspeople from Wiesbaden Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:American people of German descent Category:20th-century American sportsmen