Curwen has a ball as his mentor creates waves

The day Olympic war was declared: 16 December 1956. The water in the Melbourne pool ran red with blood as the Hungarian and Soviet Union water polo teams clashed in one of the most infamous episodes in Games history. Less than three weeks earlier, 200,000 Soviet troops had invaded Hungary to quash brutally a major revolt against Communist rule. The bitter feelings between the nations spilled over into the pool of a stadium packed with many Hungarian-born Australians.

Such were the hostilities that, with Hungary leading 4-0 in the second half, the match turned into a free-for-all fist fight, and amid the violence the Hungarian player Ervin Zador emerged with serious face wounds. The crowd became enraged, police were called and the match was abandoned as 5,500 spectators yelled abuse and tried to attack the Soviets. Hungary were awarded the match and went on to win the gold, with many of the Hungarian team taking refuge in Australia and other countries rather than return home.

As it happened, that was also the last Olympics in which Great Britain competed in water polo, finishing seventh. Yet astonishingly Britain remains third in the overall Olympics medal table, behind Hungary and Italy. This is by virtue of four gold medals won in 1900, 1908, 1912 and 1920. Since then, though, the sport in Britain has struggled to keep its head above water.

The next time it is likely to resurface in the Olympic pool will be as host nation at London 2012, and among those hoping to make a splash will be a young man built like Peter Crouch, with a similar instinct for goal. The 6ft 6in Tom Curwen, 21, is one of the breed of British sportsmen preferring to try and make a name for himself in one of those less popular activities being cosseted by Lottery money in order to boost British prospects of achieving that fourth-place target on the 2012 medal list.

Curwen, a Manchester United fan who plays for Lancaster City, the current UK champions, took up water polo at the club as a 12-year-old. Why water polo? "Well, it's better than swimming up and down," he says. "It's competitive and a team sport. Pretty exciting too."

Not to mention very physical, sometimes fiercely so. The Hungary v USSR match may have been an extreme example, but things can get rather rough in the water - and more so under it. "Yeah, some of the things that go on can be a bit tasty," says Curwen. Players can be excluded or sent to a sin-bin for a variety of offences: pinching, pulling, tugging at opponents' trunks and caps. There is also a fair bit of rugby scrum-like activity, such as "bagging", which can be pretty painful on the scrotum.

Curwen, who describes the game as "end to end, very quick and never a moment when it's boring", says the rough and tumble of water polo adds not only to the spectacle but to his own enjoyment of the sport. He has had a few injuries, mainly to his fingers. "Sometimes they get stuck in opponents' caps." And a couple of black eyes. From accidental elbows or deliberate punches? "A bit of both, really. I had my eye cut open once, but otherwise nothing too serious."

Curwen has progressed to the senior international team via the Northern Counties and the GB Juniors, making his senior debut at 16. He moved to Manchester, where the British squad are based, in November after working as a fence-builder. Now Lottery funding enables him to devote all his time to the sport, in which the current emphasis is on next month's European Championships in Manchester, a qualifying event for Beijing.

However, realistically British prospects are not good, especially as the top coach hired from Holland has decided to quit after only nine months in the job. Eelco Uri, 33, a former Dutch inter-national who played in two Olympics, told the GB players last week that he would be unable to take them through to 2012.

"I don't want to go into details, but there have been differences in the way I and the administrative body [British Swimming] think and where we are going," said Uri. "We are too far apart and I can't lower my standards. But this is part of sport. It happens in football all the time. It has nothing to do with the players or the staff I work with. I've had an amazing relationship with them and we've been doing well. But I think we should be going in a different direction."

Although he is one of Britain's leading goalscorers, versatility is the name of Curwen's game. He describes himself as an all-purpose player in the six-man team, though he is usually given the shooting role. Britain's world polo ranking is around 15th.

Says Curwen: "2012 is my main objective, I'll be 26, peak age for a water polo player." He did a Public Services diploma at college and had intended going into the fire service before the opportunity came to play full-time. He is now doing an Open University course in personal finance: "Mainly so I can manage my money a bit better." Yet water polo is never going to make him rich unless he gets snapped up by one of the top European teams. Italy has three professional leagues, and one American player earns £100,000 a year. A British player has just finished his second season in France, another is playing in Spain and a couple in Australia. The exiting Uri says he sees little prospect of Britain qualifying for Beijing next year. "It's too early. But all the team show commitment and I wish them well."

He describes Curwen as "extremely talented", adding: "Tom has a good head and could go really far. He has the right attitude and can be a key player in an Olympic tournament."

Which is why the Crouch of the pool should be keeping those injury-prone fingers crossed that he can help Britain end over half a century of treading water.

Message from an icon: Eelco Uri

Since last September, the changes in the British water polo team have been immense. The group of guys we are working with have gone from training three times a week at club level to nine times a week in the pool as well as additional weight training.

We have been working on bringing a real structure to the sport, as well as diet and mental fitness, and I would like to see this transfer down to club level now. There is a big gap between Britain and the world's top teams such as Montenegro, Hungary, Italy and America, as these countries have professional leagues and mass participation, so there is a lot to be done for the game to become more popular in Britain. It's a great team sport and gives all-round fitness because it's physically very demanding.

Tom is a great example of a water polo player. He is very tall and is physically very strong. He has a good talent and is a strong shooter, so he needs to work hard in practice and will improve with training and experience. The sport is about transferring your strengths into skills, as the game is becoming more intelligent by the day, and Tom could definitely be a key player in any future national side.

Looking ahead to the European Nations Trophy, the team will go into the tournament with a lot of training, and I'd like to see them work hard but enjoy the event and gain experience.

This is a great stepping stone to the London Olympics and the more top competition the team play, the better they are going to get and will start to close the gap on the world's top teams.

Dutchman Eelco Uri has been head coach of the British men's water polo team

See Tarantino's take on the 'blood bath' in 'Freedom's Fury', narrated by Mark Spitz

The class of 2006: Shelly Woods, disability athletics

2006 was a good year for me. I moved closer to the top of the world rankings and improved my times considerably, and this culminated in finally winning the London Marathon this year.

I had finished second the previous two years behind the Canadian world record-holder, Francesca Porcellato, so finally to cross the finish line in first place was a dream come true.

On the track, my main event last year was the World Championships, where I had mixed fortunes. I finished just outside the medals in fourth place in the 5,000m and then failed to make the final of the 800m. The 1500m race saw me finish in eighth place.

But I was then delighted finally to get on that medal podium in the marathon, where I had dropped off the pace after 15km and was back in fourth place but had a strong finish to win the bronze medal.

This year I will be hoping to make the Worlds again and it is a crucial year for me, a year out from Beijing.

In the Paralympics next year, I aim to qualify for the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and the marathon. In that last event I believe that I have the strongest chance of winning a medal, but I will give all four events my best shot.

I have been really fortunate over the past year to continue to receive National Lottery funding, which enables me to train as a full-time athlete and compete in major international races.

I combine my athletics with working a few hours for Blackpool Council and visit schools in the area to talk to children about Paralympic sport.

I would really love to see more youngsters become engaged in sport, and I think that with the London Olympics on the horizon in 2012, now is the time to try and get the next generation interested.

The London Marathon gave me an idea of what the Paralympics will be like in 2012. Racing along the streets of our capital city with crowds cheering you on is such an incredible feeling so, come London, I will be at my peak [at the age of 26] and I would love to be crowned Olympic champion in 2012.

TIMELINE TO SUCCESS

June 2006 Shelly finishes just behind Canadian Diane Roy at the Rolling Rampage 10km event in Canada.

September 2006 At the IPC World Championships in Assen, Shelly wins a bronze medal in the marathon.

October 2006 A strong race sees Shelly finish second at the Great North Run.

November 2006 Suffering with flu, Shelly finishes second after coming agonisingly close to winning the New York Marathon.

April 2007 Having won the LA Marathon in March, Shelly also wins the London Marathon at her third attempt.

May 2007 Shelly improves on a fifth-place finish at last year's Paralympic World Cup to win the silver medal in the 800m.

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