Thirsty for Another Gold Medal

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Is there something in the water? Dénes Kemény can't think of any other explanation for Hungary's stellar record in water polo. From 1928 to 1980, the Hungarian men won medals at every Olympics, taking home gold six times. In 2000, they won their seventh title. "Hungary has lots of spas," says Kemény, who coached the squad to gold in Sydney and hopes to repeat that success at this year's Summer Games. Nature's gift allowed players to train all year round even before the era of indoor swimming pools. But can Hungary rule the pool in Athens, where it will face one of the tightest fields in Olympic history? At least half of the 12 teams in the competition, including perennial powers Russia and Serbia-Montenegro, are contenders for the title.

Water polo is hugely popular in Hungary, where league matches draw thousands of fans, and the Olympic team members are well aware of their country's high expectations. "We didn't go to Sydney as champions, so I didn't feel the pressure then," says Tamás Kásás, 28, star of the victorious 2000 squad. "Now I feel it." You would think he'd be used to the pressure by now; his father, Zoltán, won a silver medal with the 1972 team and coached the national squad in the 1980s. The elder Kásás is confident that the Hungarians will prevail. "At least five players on this team have been together since 1994," he says. "They not only know how to play together, they know what the others are thinking."

The core of the team is composed of three Sydney veterans. In addition to Kásás, there's Gergely Kiss, 26, Hungary's top scorer in 2000, with 14 goals in eight games and hat tricks in both the semifinal and final, and captain Tibor Benedek, 32, a lefty who scored four times in the Sydney final and remains one of the team's strongest all-around players. But the key is Kásás, a versatile, 6-ft.-7-in. right-hander who is the team's fastest swimmer and perhaps the finest distance shooter in the world. If the two-time world player of the year finds top form in Athens, Hungary may be unbeatable. Kásás "has such a feeling for the ball," says Gergely Csurka, a writer for the Budapest weekly Képes Sport. At his peak, "he's the best in the world."

The whole Hungarian team will need to be at its best in Athens, where they meet Serbia-Montenegro and Croatia in the preliminary round of competition — Hungary lost to both in its opening contests in Sydney. Russia, the other big threat in Hungary's group, will look to avenge its loss in the 2000 final, while Italy, Spain and Greece are fielding strong teams that could challenge the Hungarians should they advance as expected to the knockout rounds. The team has beaten all these rivals regularly in the past, and two weeks ago Hungary topped its group — which included Serbia-Montenegro — in the fina World League, earning a boost of pre-Athens confidence. The Hungarians will have to be especially vigilant about not losing their collective concentration, an occasional weakness that has allowed opponents to sneak goals and the odd victory. "Any one of these teams can win," says Zoltán Kásás. "To get to the finals, we can't lose a single game. It will be a big, big fight."

Water polo is a demanding, punishing sport that requires the dexterity of a basketball player, the throwing power of a baseball pitcher and the endurance of a long-distance swimmer. The seven men on a team cannot touch the bottom or sides of the pool during a game's four seven-minute periods. Hungarian fans are demanding, too, but whatever happens in Athens they are unlikely to be very punishing. The country's players are seen not just as role models but as sex symbols — think seven bigger, taller David Beckhams splashing around a pool in Speedos at once. According to Zoltán Jakab, head of the Hungarian Water Polo Federation, half the crowd at league games in Hungary are women, and many "are not there for the match," he notes. Must be something in the water.