The Hungarian team took first place. Strengthened by a five-goal second quarter, Hungary beat the team from Italy 13-8. Recently, Hungary has competed very successfully in international water polo. The men’s team finished on top at the 2000 Olympics and the 2003 World Championship, and the women’s team won a gold medal at the 2002 World Cup.

As the winning team, Hungary won a gold medal and $100,000 in prize money, while Italy received $70,000.

Six national men’s teams โ€” United States, Holland, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), Greece and Hungary โ€” competed for this year’s championship. As the tournament’s winning team, the Hungarians automatically qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

The U.S. team, which finished 3rd by defeating the Serbia and Montenegro team 12-9, was awarded $50,000. After winning the gold medal in the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic earlier this month by beating Brazil, the Americans already were guaranteed a place in next year’s Olympic water polo tournament. Prior to this tournament, Team USA was ranked 6th in the world.

โ€œThis tournament was critical for us because it showed the level of maturity and international competitiveness that our men have reached,โ€ said U.S. head coach, Ratko Rudic. โ€œOur third-place ranking here underlines just how good our team has become.โ€

A member of Team USA, Dan Klatt, of Fresno, CA, added โ€œThe team really gelled during our practices over the summer, which clearly helped during the tournament. It’s always great to go out with a victory. Now we can focus on next year’s Olympics, feeling confident and eager to do even better.โ€

The championship’s final standings were:

1.
Hungary

2.
Italy

3.
United States

4.
Serbia and Montenegro

5.
Greece

6.
Netherlands

Among the guests in this area while watching the matches were former Islanders hockey player Bobby Nystrom; Arthur Mercante, Professional Boxing Hall of Fame referee; John Neary, President of the New York Athletic Club as well as dignitaries and ambassadors from many of the competing countries. Though generally little known or understood in the United States, water polo is a major sport in many countries, where there are organized professional leagues. The sport is seen mainly as a college or occasionally high school event in this country.

Since it began competing, the U.S. has won two silver Olympic medals and two world championships. Collectively, the six competing nations in the tournament have won more than a dozen world championships and Olympic medals

This tournament is the final event of the FINA World League. The Fรฉdรฉration Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA), or the International Aquatic Sports Federation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the body governing all international swimming events including masters swimming, open water swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming.

Three groups organized and hosted the FINA Water Polo World League Super Final’s competition in New York: the U.S. Water Polo Federation, the National Committee for the Water Polo World League Super Finals and the prestigious New York Athletic Club.

Further information about the FINA Water Polo World League Super Final is available on the official Web site at www.2003waterpolo.com.