Is there a more violent Olympic sport than water polo? Down at the Yingdong Natatorium it looked like the last scene of “Jaws” with all that water churning frenetically.

It looks tough enough on the surface. Lord knows what is happening under the water. This is a contact sport with a vengeance.

The exclusion rules — a free throw is granted and the offender excluded for 20 seconds — say it all. Exclusion fouls include intentionally splashing water in an opponent’s face, kicking or striking them, using foul language to the referee and “committing an act of brutality”.

The first casualty when I watched it the other day was Italy’s Elisa Casanova in a bruising encounter with China. “After two minutes, Elisa took a hit to her nose and could not play for the rest of the match,” said coach Mauro Maugeri.

The encounter between Australia and the United States was a classic no-holds barred contest with the Americans squeaking home narrow 9-8 winners in the last minute. Australia’s Emma Knox was the first to admit “it does get pretty rough. Pretty much whatever you can get away with that the referee can’t see, you get away with.”

PHOTO: Anett Timea Gyore of Hungary (R) fights for the ball with Alette Sijbring (L) of the Netherlands during their women’s semi-final water polo match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 19, 2008. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Croatia’s water polo team have all grown moustaches for the Olympics but they refuse to divulge exactly why.

“It’s for good luck, but we can’t talk about it — it’s a secret,” said Igor Hinic after an 11-7 victory over Italy. ”If I tell you, it will ruin it. Maybe it’s working — it worked today — but it’s too early to tell.”

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One of the more famous moustaches in the pool belonged to David Wilkie, of course, and this story reminded me of a (no doubt tall) tale about the great Scot. I was told that Wilkie once said, jokingly, to a bunch of Soviet swimmers that his great times were down to his silky big moustache making him more streamlined in the water. At the next big event, the Soviets all turned up sporting similarly impressive moustaches…

If anyone knows if there is even a grain of truth in that story, please let me know.

PHOTO: A mustachioed Aljosa Kunac of Croatia gestures during their men’s preliminary round Group B water polo match against Italy at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 10, 2008. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

A German water polo player who had earlier this year floated the idea of his team wearing orange robes a symbolic protest at the Olympics against China’s Tibet has changed his mind, saying the Tibet issue is far too complex and that he knows too little about China to organise such a demonstration.

Soeren Mackeben, 29, told Der Spiegel news magazine this week:  “I’ve become more sceptical towards all sides in the meantime.” Mackeben had first proposed wearing the orange robes — the same colour as the Tibetan monks — in an interview in March.   

“I was asking during an interview about the events in Tibet what sort of protest I could envision and that’s when I mentioned the robes,” Mackeben said. “That naturally had quite an echo in the media. In the meantime, I’ve learned that the issue is too complex to take a clear position on it.”

Mackeben said he did not know enough about China, even after studying the issue and paying a visit to China’s ambassador to Germany in Berlin.

“I spent an hour asking the ambassador questions,” Mackeben said. “Afterwards they gave me two bags filled with books. I’ve become too sceptical to put an orange robe one. I want to concenrate on water polo. It’s going to be very difficult to get a glimpse into how China really is.”

Picture of Soeren Mackeben (R) celebrating a goal at the FINA Men’s Water Polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournament by Sergio Moraes.