In water polo, each team has seven players in the water plus substitutes on the side. One player per team is the goalkeeper, who defends a floating goal at their end of the pool. The others swim up and down, passing the ball and looking for chances to shoot. Every player must keep themselves afloat the entire time — using a powerful leg kick called the eggbeater kick, which lets them rise high out of the water to pass and shoot.
Hungary has a remarkable record in this sport. The national team has won Olympic gold medals at nine different Olympic Games — more than any other country. Hungarians take great pride in their water polo tradition, and the sport is played in schools and clubs across the country.
Water polo is one of the most physically demanding team sports in the world. Players can swim 3 to 4 kilometres during a single match, the equivalent of 120 lengths of a 25-metre pool. All while treading water, wrestling for position, and throwing a ball the size of a volleyball accurately at a goal.
Hungary's success in water polo is linked to the country's love of swimming and thermal baths. With more than 80 public pools and baths, Hungarian children grow up very comfortable in water. Many great players learned to swim and play in the same kind of community pools that ordinary families use every week.