HUNGARY OUT TO CONFIRM SUPER POWER STATUS
LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Water polo super power Hungary are gunning for their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal but having gone four years without winning a major title they have something to prove at the London Games.
The men's water polo event in London, which will see what the Victorians called “aquatic football” return to the country of its birth, is tipped to be a more open contest than at previous Games.
“This is going to be one of the most competitive Olympic water polo tournaments ever. I think there's six or seven teams that all have the chance to win medals,” U.S. coach
This is going to be one of the most competitive Olympic water polo tournaments ever. I think there's six or seven teams that all have the chance to win medals
Terry Schroeder, a winner of two silver medals at the 1984 and 1988 Games, told Reuters by telephone. “It all depends on who peaks at the right time.”
The tournament gets off to an electrifying start with Serbia and Hungary, the two favourites, set to play each other on the first day of the group stage. The only thing missing from Serbia's packed water polo trophy cabinet is an Olym- pic gold.
World Champions Italy, who won gold at the Olympics the last time they were staged in London in 1948, Croatia, Montenegro, the United States and Spain also have a shot at a podium place. Four years ago, the U.S. team were the dark horses of the tournament, ranked ninth when they arrived in Beijing, but stunned their opponents to win the silver medal.
“We're a veteran team. We have 10 guys back from Beijing. I know the guys wouldn't have come back, and I wouldn't have come back, unless we thought we had a chance to win a gold medal,” Schroeder said.
Great Britain coach Cristian Iordache is realistic about the host's chances given they have been drawn in the tougher of two groups.
“We are a young team ... in the next three or four years we will meet a level where the age of the players and the experience they have in the Olympic Games will help a lot,” Iordache told Reuters by telephone.