Benedek inspires Hungarian success

Making waves: Hungary celebrate water polo gold

Tibor Benedek, who nearly missed the Games because of a drugs ban, led Hungary to water polo gold.

He scored four goals as his team routed Russia 13-6.

The Hungarians took charge after Benedek scored the first goal late in the first quarter, turning it into one of the most one-sided finals ever.

Benedek would have missed the Olympics if a 15-month ban dating from August 1999 and imposed by the sport's governing body FINA had stood.

FINA had overruled an eight-month suspension set by the Italian federation when the player tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol at a match involving his Italian club Roma.

But in January this year the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the suspension on appeal to eight months.

Benedek was assisted in the firing line by Gergely Kiss, who scored three goals, and Attila Vari and Tamas Molnar, who netted two each.

Yugoslavia took the bronze medals, winning 8-3 in the match for third place against 1996 champions Spain, who lost their Olympic title when they were beaten 8-7 by Russia in the semi-finals on Saturday.