Katinka Hosszu, Krisztina Egerszegi, Tamas Darnyi, Hungarian water-polo team, all names that were synonymous with gold medals, an incredible feat from a small landlocked central European country with a population of barely 10 million, but little Hungary had better be taken seriously in any international swimming event.
âThat race was mine to lose,â he said, something he had never allow himself to say beforehand. âEveryone knew it, I was trying not to think it.â
It was not just the pressure of being the heavy favourite, it was everything he has been through. The past year has been hard on everyone, Peaty said, and he is no exception. He has bought a house, become a father and has been trying to balance his those responsibilities with his sport. All this while coping with the travel restrictions, which meant he was not able to go abroad to train and that when heâs been racing there has been no crowd to cheer him on.
Hungarian swimmers set to defy Olympic expectations again
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21/07/2021 - 03:18 Hungary s Katinka Hosszu won three gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics Manan VATSYAYANA AFP/File 4 min To be a good swimmer is in the genes of Hungarians.
That s the view of triple Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu, one of the country s biggest stars in the pool.
The landlocked central European country, with a population of around 10 million, routinely punches above its weight in Olympic swimming events.
Top-class facilities including the Duna Arena in Budapest and a network of others that have opened in recent years underline how seriously the sport is taken in Hungary.