Water Polo at the Olympic Games: Rome 1960

After the troubled edition held in Australia, the Olympic Games were back to Europe and were staged for the first time in Italy. It was Rome, the “Eternal City” depicted in the famous and then-controversial cinema masterpiece La dolce vita, to host the event in the late summer of 1960.

It is partially uncorrect to state that the Italian capital city won its first bid, though. Rome was supposed to organise the Olympics for the 1908 edition, but the catastrophic eruption of the Vesuvio in Naples had forced the organisers to renounce in favour of London. Remarkable events occured in the 1960 Olympics, still regarded nowadays as “the Games that changed the world”. The Soviet Union definitely ruled in gymnastics, as they won all but one of the gold medals. In athletics, American Wilma Rudolph triumphed both in 100 and 200 metres although she suffered from polio, whereas in boxing her fellow countryman Cassius Clay, future Muhammad Ali, won in the light heavyweight. Moreover, Pakistan overcame arch-rivals India in field hockey, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila topped the marathon although he ran with bare feet and sailing featured notable participants such as future King Konstantinos II of Greece and his sister Sofia, who would later became Queen of Spain. Read more

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