Water polo: USA settles for fourth at Unicum Cup
BUDAPEST, Hungary - The United States men’s national water polo
team lost more than just two straight matches in the Unicum Cup this past
weekend; they may have lost one of their top players.
Two-meter man Chris Humbert missed Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Australia with
a compression of the neck, suffered in Friday’s 9-5 win over Germany.
Humbert was kneed and kicked in the head during Friday’s game and
suffered temporary paralysis of his left side.
The paralysis lasted only a few minutes and he returned to play on
Saturday in the Americans’ 17-5 loss to eventual Unicum Cup winner,
Hungary.
During that game, Humbert experienced some slight paralysis to his
left arm and he was benched on Sunday.
Humbert’s injury might play a big factor for the Americans in the
upcoming FINA World Cup, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 28 in Sydney,
Australia.
The U.S. team, with a berth at the Olympic Games in Australia in 2000
already assured, finished fourth in the Unicum Cup, behind Hungary, Spain
and Australia.
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