Sports, right? They unite, ignite and generally, elevate one’s heart rate whether the sport is watched or practised.
Whether you lead a sporty lifestyle yourself or only watch from the comfort of your couch, you have no doubt crossed paths with one or more of its many forms.
I have explicitly been forbidden to write about the beauty of athletic butts. So I shall refrain and instead focus on the fact that athletes are freaking cool! I mean, all that work and preparation that goes into bringing their bestEST at sporting events while the entire nation, continent or globe is watching – a lot of them in judgement, is truly unparalleled.
While I’m not the biggest sports fan, I have to bow my head to respect all Olympic athletes. And naturally, especially for our very own.
The Hungarian Olympic team has taken home no less than 20 medals!
Historical highlights
Hungary has been taking part in the modern Olympic Games since 1896 when Alfréd Hajós won first place in men’s swimming (100 and 1200 meters) which was honoured with a silver medal and a laurel wreath back then.
We’ve only missed the Olympics twice, in 1920 and 1984, for political reasons.
Out of all the Games, the 1952 Helsinki Olympics were the most fruitful for Hungary. We took home 42 medals, 16 of which were gold.
Before patriotism takes over me, I would like to clearly state that any athlete competing in the Olympics kicks ass!
Finland, Helsinki 1952, 4×100 m winning women’s swimming team: Ilona Novák, Kató Szőke, Éva Novák and Judit Temes
2021 (2020) Tokyo Olympic highlights
One of the most significant current highlights was certainly Kristóf Milák’s aquatic performance. The young swimmer won the 200m and set an Olympic record time of 1:51.25, breaking the great Michael Phelps’ record of 1:52.03 set in Beijing 2008.
The bronze medal can be as shiny as the gold. It is especially when a new sport was included in the Olympic program for the very first time. So Hungarian athlete Gábor Hárspataki won the bronze medal in men’s 75kg Kumite karate, victory for the well-performing Hungarian team.
Third consecutive gold medal
Hungary is considered to be very successful at aquatic sports. The team of Danuta Kozák, Tamara Csipes, Anna Kárász, Dóra Bodonyi proves the point. By their brilliant success, the win gave Hungary their third consecutive gold medal in the kayak-canoe event.
So if you missed the Games or would like to relive the big moments, you can find some highlights here.
Performance regardless of the pandemic
One could highlight so many incredible athletes that it would feel unfair if I mentioned just one.
So bask in the glory of your nation’s athletic successes, remember that having had the Olympic games in the almost middle of a pandemic is no small feat, and take comfort in the fact that there is always something to look forward to.
What’s the next big event you cannot wait to happen?