This is a sentence
I thought I’d never write: The Olympic event I’m most looking
forward to is the men’s water polo competition.
Gallery 1
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Covering the FINA
Men’s World League finals in Long Beach, Calif., in July exposed me
to a sport I had only passing interest in before. In my first taste
of elite-level water polo, I was amazed at the skill and athleticism
of these athletes. As someone who can barely tread water, watching
these guys from six countries swim, pass, shoot and play defense was
impressive. Under the water, there was more contact, pulling,
grabbing and pushing than under the basket at an NBA game or a
circuit party; these guys really go after each other, which is why
they all wear double Speedos.
They were also
amazing out of the pool. Each team had its own warm-up robes, which
put any terry-cloth bathrobes to shame. The Hungarians wore
bright red, the Greeks in white and the Serbs in red, white
and blue. But the classiest were, of course, the Italians. With
their
impeccably designed royal blue robes, open to expose
well-developed bronze chests, the Italians looked like they’d be
equally at home strolling down the catwalk in Milan.
Most impressive in
the pool in Long Beach was Hungary, and with good reason. The
Hungarians are the New York Yankees of the water polo world, winners
of seven Olympic golds and the favorite in Athens. As one USA water
polo rep told me, Hungarians come out of the womb with their arm
cocked back, ready to shoot. Even my untrained eye could tell they
were the class of the event, and it was no surprise when they beat
Serbia and Montenegro to win the world final and the $100,000 prize.
And it was cool afterwards to see the winning players hugging and
kissing each other. I know it's a European thing and not gay, but
it's always nice to see men comfortable enough to show affection to
each other.
The Olympics
featured 12 men’s teams and eight women’s. The U.S. men are among
the Top in the world, but will struggle to win a medal. The American
women, though, are a gold medal favorite, with their biggest
competition coming from Hungary and Russia. With NBC spreading its coverage
over several networks, water polo should get a lot of exposure.
Covering one
tournament automatically makes me an expert, so here are my men’s
picks: Gold—Hungary; Silver—Greece; Bronze—Serbia and Montenegro.
I hope these
terrific images by Brent Mullins give you a sense of the action that
makes the sport so compelling to watch. Enjoy!
Photos by
Brent Mullins
Copyright 2004 / Outsports.com
