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Athens 2004

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. He took an active part in the Congress for the re-establishment of the Games held in Paris in 1894 and was one of the founder 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.Hungarian Olympic Triumph!
by Bryan Dawson

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.

Ferenc Kemeny,
founding
member of the International Olympic Committee.

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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Please ask for permission and CITE this source, attributing Bryan Dawson, before using this information.


2004 Athens Highlights2004 Athens Highlights

  • Legendary Hungarian Swimming finds a new star! 15-year old Daniel Gyurta wins Silver! Future Two-Time World Champion!
  • Hungarian Fencing continues to dominate as Timea Nagy takes Gold!
    • Zsolt Nemcsik wins individual Silver on Sabre
    • Men's Team Epee take Silver
  • Hungarian kayak / canoe also continues medal performance with Gold, Silver, and Bronze!
    • Zoltán Kammerer and Botond Storcz repeat Gold-medal performance as Men's K4 also take Gold!
    • Natasa Janics wins TWO Gold Medals!
    • Michal and Richard Riszdorfer take Bronze competing for Slovakia in the K4-1000m
  • Legendary Hungarian Waterpolo returns to Gold, taking 2nd of an unprecedented three consecutive Gold Medals!
  • Skeet shooter, Diana Igaly wins Gold after bronze in 2000, Jozef Gonci takes bronze in Air Rifle for Slovakia
Medal
Name Event
Gold
Natasa Janics Canoeing, Women's K1 500 m
Gold
Natasa Janics Canoeing, Women's K2 500 m
Gold
Katalin Kovács Canoeing, Women's K2 500 m
Gold
Tímea Nagy Fencing, Women's Individual Epee
Gold
Zoltán Kammerer Canoeing, Men's K4 1000 m
Gold
Botond Storcz Canoeing, Men's K4 1000 m
Gold
Ákos Vereckei Canoeing, Men's K4 1000 m
Gold
Gábor Horváth Canoeing, Men's K4 1000 m
Gold
Zsuzsanna Vörös Modern Pentathlon, Women's Competition
Gold
Diána Igaly Shooting, Women's Skeet
Gold
István Majoros Wrestling, Men's Greco-Roman 55 kg
Gold
Tibor Benedek Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Péter Biros Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Rajmund Fodor Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
István Gergely Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Tamás Kásás Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Gergely Kiss Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Norbert Madaras Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Tamás Molnár Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Ádám Steinmetz Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Barnabás Steinmetz Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Zoltán Szécsi Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Tamás Varga Water Polo, Men's Team
Gold
Attila Vári Water Polo, Men's Team
Silver
Zoltán Kővágó Athletics, Men's Discus
Silver
Katalin Kovács Canoeing, Women's K4 500 m
Silver
Szilvia Szabó Canoeing, Women's K4 500 m
Silver
Erzsébet Viski Canoeing, Women's K4 500 m
Silver
Kinga Bóta Canoeing, Women's K4 500 m
Silver
Zsolt Nemcsik Fencing, Men's Individual Sabre
Silver
Gábor Boczkó Fencing, Men's Team Epee
Silver
Krisztián Kulcsár Fencing, Men's Team Epee
Silver
Iván Kovács Fencing, Men's Team Epee
Silver
Dániel Gyurta Swimming, Men's 200 m Breaststroke
Silver
Eszter Krutzler Weightlifting, Women's 69 kg
Bronze
Michal Riszdorfer Canoeing, Men's K-4 1000 m Competing for Slovakia
Bronze
Richard Riszdorfer Canoeing, Men's K-4 1000 m Competing for Slovakia
Bronze
György Kozmann Canoeing, Men's C2 1,000 m
Bronze
György Kolonics Canoeing, Men's C2 1,000 m
Bronze
Attila Vajda Canoeing, Men's C1 1000 m
Bronze
László Cseh Swimming, Men's 400 m Individual Medley
Bronze
Jozef Gönci ( József) Shooting, Men's 10 metre Air Rifle Jozef (József) Gönci' won independent Slovakia's first ever Olympic Medal. He won another bronze in Athens 2004, and was Slovakia's Flag Bearer in London 2012. Competing for Slovakia

- Read more on [Wikipedia]
- Search all 2004 medalists (magyarul / in Hungarian)



Featured 2004 Olympians

2000 - 2008 Hungarian Water Polo Team

The Hungarian Water Polo Team is considered the world's top power in the history of water polo, having won 15 Olympic, 9 World Championship, 5 FINA World League, 8 FINA World Cup and 21 European Championship medalsThe Hungarian Water Polo Team is considered the world's top power in the history of water polo, having won 15 Olympic, 9 World Championship, 5 FINA World League, 8 FINA World Cup and 21 European Championship medals. Hungary are the current Olympic gold medalists, since the 2008 Olympic Games. [more on Wikpedia]

1956 Mens Waterpolo Team Hungary
Blood in the Water: Hungary vs. The Soviet Union...

Amid all the tension caused by the Soviet invasion of Hungary, Hungary and the Soviet Union met in a water polo match, one of the most famous water polo matches in history. The game was played in a packed stadium with many Hungarian-born Australians in the crowd. In addition to the political tension it was also a crucial game in terms of the water polo competition. If Hungary were to win it would almost be assured of the gold medal.

The match was rough from the beginning but became increasingly violent after Hungary took a 4-0 lead in the second half.At one point a Hungarian player, Ervin Zador, was heavily knocked by a Soviet player and emerged from the pool with serious facial bleeding. The crowd became enraged and police were called to prevent a riot. The match was abandoned shortly before full time and Hungary was credited with a victory. 1956 Mens Waterpolo Team Hungary: Zador bleedingThis ultimately secured it the gold medal after the completion of other matches.

Many of the Hungarian team were not able to return to their homeland to rejoice in this victory, choosing instead to remain in Australia or seek refuge in other countries rather than return to their war-ravaged country.

View Trailers on YouTubeIn 2007, the film "Freedom's Fury," (A szabadság Vihara) directed by Colin Gray and Megan Raney (The Sibs), was released. The critically acclaimed, hard-hitting feature documentary about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the "Bloodiest Game in Olympic History," tells the story of the fateful moment in 1956 when Hungary explodes in a popular revolt and climaxes with the infamous water polo showdown between Hungary and the Soviets at the Melbourne Olympics. Now knoBuy Freedom's Fury on Amazon!wn as the “Blood in the Water Match,” the documentary follows the journey of the Hungarian Olympic water polo team and its young star, Ervin Zador, who find themselves the unwitting focal point of the most politicized sports match ever played.

See Trailers of "Freedom's Fury" on YouTube or buy the film on AHF's Amazon store!Buy Freedom's Fury on Amazon!


Dana AntalFeatured 2002 Winter Olympian, Dana Antal:
(b. 4/19/1977, Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Canada )

Star Forward on Canada's "Golden Girl's" Hockey Team!

Dana's hockey career began in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan at the tender age of five. At first, it was figure skating, then she turned to boys' hockey because everyone else in town was playing. Dana Antal scored three goals and had seven points to help Canada to the gold medal at the world championships last year. She missed the 2000 worlds due to a knee injury. She played college hockey at Cornell University in the U.S., for two years and also spent a season in Switzerland. She now attends the University of Calgary and plays for the Oval X-Treme.

Highlights: Gold medalist at World Championships in 2001; Gold medalist at Four Nations Cup in 2001.

- Read more


Zoltan Kammerer Botond Storcz Timea Nagy
Daniel Gyurta: Legendary Hungarian Swimming finds a new star! 15-year old Daniel Gyurta wins Silver! Future Two-Time World Champion! Zsuzsanna Vörös: 2004 Modern Pentathlon, Women's Competition Gold Medalist
Natasa Janics and Katalin Kovacs Canoeing, Men's K4 1000 m: Kammerer_Storcz_Vereckei_Horvath

Click for larger images

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