Blood in the Water

International controversies in the Olymics date back at least to the 1908 London Games when an emerging rivalry between the US and Great Britain came to light.

One of the ugliest episodes in Olympic history took place in a water polo match at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

In a prelude to controversies in the 1960s and 1970s, Hungary and the Soviet Union (USSR) met in the "Blood in the Water" match just a month after the Red Army of the USSR crushed a Hungarian rebellion in Budapest.

The resulting 4-0 water polo victory for Hungary was one of the roughest, most emotional events ever witnessed in the modern games. The match was stopped with 1:00 left after a Soviet player sucker-punched a Hungarian.