Serbia knew it the moment Miloš Ciuk smashed the final ball into the Croatian net. Their opponents knew it too, as they saw a red-and-white checked cap sink to his knees on the bench at the other end of the pool. With a three-point lead in the dying seconds of the game, Serbia were on the brink of winning a third straight title, tying the all-time record for men’s Olympic water polo. They had achieved the feat with a third straight title. It was clear to see that their toughest rivals were being forced to celebrate.
Did winning another gold medal against a neighbour with a deep-rooted, turbulent history in and out of sport mean anything to the Serbian athletes? “Yes,” Ciuk replied simply, after the medal ceremony, which began with rapturous celebrations from the throngs of visiting supporters. “Yes, yes and yes.”
So yes. As soon as the 13-11 victory was confirmed, the coaches jumped into the pool fully clothed. Flags were draped over the goal frames and Nemanja Ubovic swam out to kiss them and pose for photos. Before kick-off, Radomir Drasovic, one of the nine scorers, described the match as “the best game of our careers.” Serbia were not particularly confident having made it this far, but they saved their best for the all-important afternoon.
This was not a match fraught with the sort of uncertainty one might expect if these nations competed in, say, soccer. The teams knew each other well, and world champion Croatia beat Serbia in February on its way to claiming that honor. But there was no misunderstanding about the stakes. In 2016, Serbia was so dominant in the Olympic final that Ivica Tučak, Croatia’s longtime coach, called himself “the saddest man in the world.”
That said, there has been some precedent for some irritating incidents: in March 2007, flares were fired and six spectators ejected from a world championship match between the two countries in Melbourne after Croatia had scored the opening goal. The Paris crowd was much more subdued, the Serbian flag looked clean and, thankfully, devoid of the nationalistic slogans and insignia that are so often found at such matches. The Serbian fans far outnumbered their counterparts and created an appropriate atmosphere as glory drew nearer.
Needles are a part of water polo, a sport that requires incredible athleticism. But what’s on the surface is only half the story. Beneath the surface, a world of skirmishes and brawls unfolds, with players on both teams taking their combative skills to the limit.
It takes strength, speed, a little craftiness and laser-like accuracy on the ball. Serbia used all four to their advantage as they led 7-3 early in the second period, their defense making brave blocks as Croatia tried desperately to fight back. After Nikola Dedovic scored Serbia’s 12th goal, Tucak looked away and puffed out his cheeks. He was on the verge of a new brink of despair.
Afterwards, veteran Maro Jokovic, who played in four Olympics before his Rio travails and won a gold medal in London in 2012, expressed his loneliness. “I feel a huge emptiness,” he said. “I’m disappointed in how we played. I wanted to do more, I could have done more, and knowing that this is a punishment is a punishment in itself.”
After newsletter promotion
Did the excitement of facing Serbia provide extra motivation or a distraction in their preparations? “I leave that to the supporters. Getting emotional outside the pool can only be counterproductive. This is a completely different situation to 2016. All I know is that this defeat will stay with us for a long time.”
Ciuk, who scored three goals and was arguably Serbia’s finest shot-winner, felt the satisfaction of a man who knew this most meaningful moment was coming. “This is for my guys,” he said. “When I came to Paris, I had a good feeling. I knew we were going to win the gold medal. I told my players that every day until this morning. Ask them if I was right.” There was no need for that. Serbia had landed their most powerful knockout punch on their opponents.
