"The most important thing is we have a generation of players that will take us to the (2012) Olympic Games in London. We don't only have a good team now but we'll have one of the best teams in Europe, with the most potential for the future."

With most of the Serbia-Montenegro players going to Serbia, Porobic had to experiment: his team includes club veterans who never got to play at national level for the powerful union team and youngsters who stood out in the junior leagues. Ages range from 21 to 37.

Boris Zlokovic, who was part of the golden team of the 2005 world championships, said there were great benefits to the mix of youth and experience in the team.

"The atmosphere is fantastic, we have a great appetite for medals and trophies," he said. He thinks expectations will only get greater as the team matures.

"We are of course looking ahead to the 2012 Games but in the meantime we are going to Beijing to do our best and are hoping for a medal. Luck is a big part of it, so you never know."

With no other sports or athletes with a realistic shot at an Olympic medal, the waterpolo squad knows people back home expect them to raise the red-and-gold flag on the podium in Beijing.

"Water polo is the No. 1 sport in Montenegro, so there is a lot of expectation, a lot of pressure and responsibility," said Mladjan Janovic, at 23 one of the team's youngest players.

"In our first year we already qualified for the Olympics and that is something to be really proud of. Now it's tougher, coming up against teams already at the top of the world." The past is an inspiration, not a burden, he thinks.

"The Serbia-Montenegro team brought very good results and we want to continue this tradition," he said.

"There is very strong competition but for sure we are not going to Beijing as spectators. We'll do our best and give our nation a pleasant surprise."

(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2008)