BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Former Salem International University standout Michal Izdinsky and the French National Team will compete at the 2017 FINA Men’s Water Polo World Championship on July 17-29 in Budapest, Hungary at Duna Arena. 
It will mark the third international tournament for Izdinsky in less than a year as he was a member of the 2016 French Olympic Team which fell to Montenegro (7-4 L, August 6), Italy (11-8 L, August 8) and Spain (10-4 L, August 10) prior to shocking Croatia (9-8 W, August 14) in Rio de Janeiro. He finished the Olympics with a one-for-11 shooting performance with two assists as he went zero-for-one with an assist against Montenegro, zero-for-three mark against Italy, zero-for-two mark against the United States and zero-for-three versus Spain prior to connecting on a goal to aid his homeland versus Croatia.
More recently, Izdinsky scored two goals and dished out five assists to lead the French National Team to a Ninth Place finish at the 2016 European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 10-23.
This will be just the fourth time that France has competed in the Championships and first since placing 12th in the 1991 games in Perth, Australia. The French National Team placed 13th in 1982 at Guayaquil, Ecuador and brought home its highest-ranking in the games (eighth) in 1986 while in Madrid, Spain.
The complete French roster includes; Mathias Bachelier, Rémi Garsau, Michal Izdinsky, Manuel Laversanne, Sébastien Monneret, Cédric Rocchietta, Charles Canonne, Ugo Crousillat, Guillaume Dino, Arshak Hovhannisyan, Igor Kovacevic, Thibaut Simon, Hugo Fontani, Pierre-Frédéric Vanpeperstraete, Mathieu Peisson, Logan Piot, Rémi Saudadier, Mehdi Marzaouki.
France is paired in Group B with Australia, Italy and Hungary. The French will face Italy on the opening day of the Preliminary Round on July 17 prior to meeting Australia (July 19) and Hungary (July 21). The top finisher in each group will earn a bye to the Quarterfinal Round, while teams 2-4 from each group will battle on July 23 for the right to advance.
The top-eight remaining teams after day six of competition will advance to the Final Round with a champion slated for crowning on July 29 in Budapest.
A 2013 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division II All-America to go along with Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Scholar-Athlete Outstanding honors, Izdinsky established a Salem International single season record with 106 goals in his season with the Tigers.
