Ervin Zádor
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's Water polo | ||
Representing Hungary | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1956 Melbourne | Team competition |
Ervin Zádor (7 June 1934 – 28 April 2012)[1][2][3] was a Hungarian water polo player and member of the Hungarian national team.
Career
At age 21, Ervin Zádor represented Hungary at the
The
Zádor was shown emerging from the water with blood pouring down his face in a news photo published around the world. He later commented "All I could think about is, 'Could I play the next match?'."[5] Zádor's injury kept him out of the Olympic final, but his team won the Olympic gold medal with a 2-1 victory over Yugoslavia.
In April 2006, a documentary called Freedom's Fury premiered, with Lucy Liu and Quentin Tarantino listed as executive producers. It depicts the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and climaxes with the water polo battle between Hungary and the Soviet Union. The documentary follows Ervin Zádor, who is portrayed as the unwitting focal point of the politicized match. In a 2006 interview, Zádor said the Hungarian strategy was to anger the Russian team and cause them to make errors.[6] U.S. Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz, who narrates "Freedom's Fury", was coached by Ervin Zádor.[7]
Personal life
Born in Budapest, Zádor refused to return to his Soviet-occupied country after the Olympic Games and became a political refugee. He settled in Linden, California. He died on April 28, 2012. Two of his children continue to coach waterpolo in Ripon, California.
See also
- Hungary men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
- List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
- List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
- Blood in the Water match
References
- ^ "Elhunyt Zádor Ervin olimpiai bajnok vízilabdázó". Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ "Elhunyt Zádor Ervin". Archived from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ "Famed swimming coach Zador dies". Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Simon Burnton (December 28, 2011). "50 stunning Olympic moments No7: Hungary v Soviet Union: blood in the water". The Guardian.
- ^ Schwartz, Larry (October 28, 2006). "The day the Cold War came to the Olympics". The Age (Australia). Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- ^ Mike Rowbottom (2006-12-02). "Ervin Zador: Blood in the water (interview)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2018-01-03. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
- ^ Radio Free Europe: Hungary: New Film Revisits 1956 Water-Polo Showdown Retrieved 13 September 2006
External links
- Ervin Zádor at Olympics.com
- Ervin Zádor at Olympedia
- Ervin Zádor at the Hungarian Olympic Committee (in Hungarian)