Italy's Francesco Condemi shoots the ball during a men's water polo match against Romania at the Paris Olympics, on Aug. 3.ANDREAS SOLARO/Getty Images
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed a protest by the Italian Swimming Federation over the ejection of Francesco Condemi from Italy’s quarter-final loss to Hungary in the men’s water polo tournament at the Paris Olympics.
The 20-year-old Condemi was excluded for a violent action with 2:22 left in the second quarter Wednesday night. Krisztian Manhercz made the ensuing penalty shot, giving Hungary a 4-2 lead. Hungary also received a 4-minute power play, but it did not score during that stretch.
The game went to a penalty shootout, and Hungary advanced with a 12-10 victory.
“It was a really tough game for both teams,” Manhercz said after Hungary’s win. “The brutality call in the second quarter really changed the game.”
Apparently still upset with the officiating during the quarters, Italy players turned their backs on the pool during the national anthems before their 11-9 loss to Spain in a classification game on Friday.
As part of its protest, the swimming federation asked for the cancellation of the sanctions imposed on Condemi and the final result of the quarter-final. It wanted the match against Hungary to be replayed from the point of Condemi’s exclusion.
The protest was rejected by World Aquatics on Thursday. The decision was appealed to CAS, which dismissed the application on Friday.
Italy has one game left at the Olympics on Saturday. It has dropped three in a row after opening with four straight victories.