![]() ![]() At another match in Hungary, fans turned their backs as the Russians were introduced, and drowned out their national anthem. Russia won and after the match the two sides suffered a dressing-room punch-up. Months before the Games, the teams met again in a practice tournament in Moscow. The Melbourne crowds could not see what was happening under water And so, as they worked on improving their chances for 1956, the Soviets learned from Hungary’s uniquely successful training regime. Remember that at the 1952 Games, Hungary had already defeated Russia. ![]() ![]() Probably more in water polo than any other sport since Hungary was waterpolo’s super power. Seven years after Hungary was formally under Soviet control, any meeting between representatives of the two nations would naturally be political. Although I was fully aware of the 1936 Games in Berlin, rarely had a sporting event been so loaded with subtext as this 1956 waterpolo was. So people wanted to know which countries had the best athletes. According to the newspapers, it was one of the most highly charged battles in Olympic history.Ī sporting event used to allow sports people to prove their skills above others. In Dec 1956 Hungary & Soviet Union opposed each other in a water polo semi-final that has earned a place in infamy it was an occasion that seethed with violence from the start and ended in chaos after polo players was dragged out of the pool, bleeding. ![]()
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