Water Polo & Politics

A bloody war that spilled into the pool In 1956, the 16th Olympiad was scheduled to begin in November in Melbourne, Australia. At this time, the world was deeply embroiled in the Cold War and, as had become customary, the political war was about to spill over into the Olympics. In Hungary, Soviet tanks and troops were in the midst of ruthlessly suppressing a popular, democratic uprising that had begun in late October 1956. Predating the Prague Spring by nearly a decade, this was the first time an Eastern Bloc country had tried to throw off the yoke of Soviet control. For two weeks Hungary was free, then the bloodshed began as the Soviet Red Army rolled back into Budapest. Students and everyday citizens were mercilessly gunned down in the streets. Thousands more were imprisoned and executed in the following months. The world watched traumatized and paralyzed. An international powerhouse, Hungary's water polo team was defending Gold Medal champions with a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars like Ervin Zador -- considered by many to be one of the best players in the world at age 21. In the midst of the revolution and only days before the Olympics were to begin, the Hungarian water polo players had been spirited out of the country by their Soviet handlers. Many on the team, fearing this could be the last time they might see certain friends and family, risked furtive farewells with their loved ones the night before their sudden departure. The team arrived in Melbourne a week later to hear Western media reports of savage brutality and murder by the Red Army in the streets of Budapest. The Hungarians began the defense of their Olympic title with the hopes and pride of an anguished country riding on their shoulders. In a barely imaginable twist of fate, the Hungarians then met the Soviet Union in the semi-finals of the Olympics for a penultimate showdown. Purely on the merits of sport it would have been an incredible match. But taking into consideration that the Hungarians were poised to swim against the same aggressors responsible for the bloodshed back home, the specter of the match grew immensely. Charged with raw emotion and rife with political symbolism, the water polo duel between Hungary and the Soviet Union at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in Australia has since become one of the most legendary in Olympic history, so fierce it became known as the "Blood in the Water" match. The game was played in a packed stadium with many Hungarian-born Australians in the crowd. The match was rough from the beginning but became increasingly violent after Hungary took a 4-0 lead in the second half. Hungarian star, Ervin Zador, who had scored two goals, was sucker-punched by Valentin Prokopov and suffered a deep gash under his right eye. The crowd became enraged and a brawl ensued. Police were called in to prevent a riot. The referee then ended the match with less than a minute to go, fearing the bloody fight in the pool would spread to the stands. Hungary, leading 4-0 when the match was called off, was declared the winner. But in the streets of Budapest, the Soviets were still champions: Hungary remained a Soviet satellite until 1989. Indeed, over half the Hungarian team defected after the Olympics rather than return to the oppression in their homeland. The image of Zador leaving the pool bleeding profusely was published in newspapers around the world. Many from the Hungarian team were not able to return to their homeland to rejoice in this victory, choosing instead to remain in Australia or seek refuge in other countries rather than return to their war-ravaged country.