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Nagy, Hungary beat Spain for bronze medal in water polo

By The Associated Press - | Aug 8, 2021

Hungary's Krisztian Manhercz (3) defends against Spain's Alberto Munarriz Egana (2) during the men's water polo bronze medal match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

TOKYO (AP) — Viktor Nagy led Hungary to the bronze medal in men’s water polo in his last game, making eight saves in a 9-5 victory over Spain at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.

Marton Vamos scored two goals as Hungary rebounded from a disappointing 9-6 loss to Greece in the semifinals.

Hungary is the winningest program in men’s water polo with nine golds, but the bronze in Tokyo was its first medal since its run of three straight Olympic titles from 2000 to 2008. It finished fifth in London and Rio de Janeiro.

Hungary’s women’s water polo team also won bronze, beating the Russian team 11-9 on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Nagy helped Hungary shut out Spain after the game was tied at halftime. It was his first medal in his third Olympics.

“I’m very thankful for my team. It was my last game, my last water polo game for me,” Nagy said. “I’m finished. I’m done. … So for me, it was a very, very hard game, and I’m very, very happy we could win.”

Captain Denes Varga, one of eight players who scored for Hungary, said the team knew it was Nagy’s last game.

“So we really fought also for his victory,” Varga said.

Teammate Norbert Hosnyanszky, 37, also scored in what he said was his final international match.

Spain dropped its last two games in Tokyo after opening with six straight wins. It lost 10-9 to Serbia on Friday night on Filip Filipovic’s tiebreaking goal with 26 seconds left.

Alberto Munarriz Egana scored two goals for Spain, and Daniel Lopez Pinedo had eight saves.

“Today Hungary was better. They lost the game against Greece, too, and they were able to come back and play better than us and that’s it,” Spain captain Felipe Perrone said. “But we lost the medal in the semifinals, that’s the truth.”

Serbia plays Greece for gold later Sunday.

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