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Los Angeles 1984 |
Hungarian Olympic Triumph! Did you know...as of 2016, Hungary ranks 8th in the world in medals at the Summer Olympic Games despite its being torn apart after WWI and losing half her population and 2/3 of her territory. This does not include an additional 6 medals won in the Winter Olympics nor the Hungarians that won medals as nationals of other countries after borders were redrawn or after large-scale emigration.
The beginnings of the Olympic movement in Hungary go back further than the Games in Athens. Ferenc Kemeny, a great pacifist and member of the International Peace Bureau, was one of Pierre de Coubertin's first kindred spirits, with whom he struck up a friendship in the 1880's. Kemeny took an active part in the Congress for the re-establishment of the Games held in Paris in 1894 and was one of the founding members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Coubertin supported Kemeny's suggestion to hold the first Olympics in Budapest in 1896 in honor of Hungary's 1000 years of statehood. While the dream of hosting an Olympics is not yet realized, Hungary has won more Olympic medals than any other nation that has never hosted the Games. Hungary in the Olympics - Select a Year: |
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1984 Los Angeles Highlights In retaliation for America's boycott of the Moscow Olympics, Hungary bowed to Soviet pressure and did not participate in Los Angeles. However, there was still Hungarian Gold and Silver!
Hungarian Medals!
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Featured 1984 Olympians Karch Kiraly: The "greatest volleyballer ever"... Olympic medals: Gold: 3 - See the International
Olympic Committee's Heroes or Ecaterina Szabo: Emilia
Eberle: Gertrud Emilia Eberle is an ethnic Hungarian from Arad. The Rumanians felt "Gertrud" was not ethnic Rumanian-sounding, so she used Emilia in competition. Emilia was also coached by the Karoly's and competed along side Nadia Comaneci under the Rumanian flag. She was expected to take Gold in 1984 after her double-silver performance in 1980, but surgery cut her career short. She defected to Hungary in 1989 and eventually came to the United States where she coaches at Pozsar's Gym in California. See Gymnastic Greats |