Венгрия / Hungary

Hungary took part in the first Olympic Games of the modern era in Athens in 1896.

Their first Olympic champion was swimmer Alfred HAJOS, who won gold medals in 100m freestyle and 1200m freestyle. HAJOS was later awarded a silver medal for architecture in the artistic competition held at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.

Hungarians have been prolific in fencing. Aladar GEREVICH is the most successful Hungarian competitor. He won seven gold medals from 1932 to 1960.

The last of his six team sabre gold medals came in Rome in 1960. He also won the individual sabre title in London in 1948.

Pal KOVACS won six gold medals from 1936 to 1960. He was part of the gold medal-winning sabre team in 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960. He won the individual title in 1952.

His teammate Rudolph KARPATI won four team gold and also took the individual sabre title in 1956 and 1960.

Pal SCHMITT was a member of the gold medal-winning epee team in 1972 and 1976.

An IOC member since 1983, he became president of Hungary in 2010. Archer IIona ELEK was the first Hungarian woman to win an Olympic title when she took gold in the foil at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games.

They have also an excellent record in gymnastics and Agnes KELETI remains their most successful female Olympian. She won gold for floor exercises at the Helsinki 1952 Games and four gold in Melbourne at the 1956 Games.

In 1948, at the last Olympic Games to be staged in London, pistol shooter Karoly TALACS won the rapid fire event and retained the title at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games. His success was remarkable. He had lost an arm in a pre-war accident and had taught himself to shoot left handed.

Boxer Laszlo PAPP won middleweight gold in London in 1948. In 1952 he boxed at light-middleweight and took his second gold. In 1956 he defended the title to become the first boxer to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Hammer thrower Imre NEMETH began a family field events' tradition with gold at the 1948 London Games. His son Miklos won the javelin throw at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games.

Hungary established a strong tradition in modern pentathlon after the Second World War. They won the men's team competition four times before it was removed from the Olympic Games programme and Andras BALCZO also won the individual title at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

Zsuzsanna VOROS won the women's competition in 2004. Backstroker Kristina EGERSZEGI is Hungary's most successful swimmer. She won five individual gold medals (including one medley gold) over three Olympic Games. She also claimed a silver and a bronze in a career from 1988 to 1996.