Hungarian Olympic Triumph: 1984, Los Angeles

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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:

Sections:

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

[Start page]
[Ferenc Kemeny and the Origins of the Olympic Movement]
[1896, Athens]
[1900, Paris]
[1904, St. Louis]

[1906, Athens]
[1908, London]
[1912, Stockholm]
[1920, Antwerp]
[1924, Paris]
[1928, Amsterdam]
[1932, Los Angeles]

[1936, Berlin]
[1948, London]
[1952, Helsinki]
[1956, Melbourne]
[1960, Rome]
[1964, Tokyo]
[1968, Mexico City]

[1972, Munich]
[1976, Munich]
[1980, Moscow]
[1984, Los Angeles]
[1988, Seoul]
[1992, Barcelona]
[1996, Atlanta]

[2000, Sydney]
[2004, Athens]
[2008, Beijing]
[2012, London]
[2014, Sochi]
[2016, Rio de Janeiro]

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!

The "next Nadia," legendary gymnast Ecaterina Szabo wins 4 Gold Medals for Rumania!
Hungarian-American Volleyball Legend Karch Kiraly wins first of 3 Golds for USA! "The Greatest Volleyballer Ever." He'll repeat Gold in 1988 and make history in 1996 with a 3rd Gold, this time in grueling Beach Volleyball.

Hungarian Medals!

Medal	Name	Event
	Ecaterina Szabo	Gymnastics: All Around Team
	Ecaterina Szabo	Gymnastics: Floor Exercise
	Ecaterina Szabo	Gymnastics: Balance Beam
	Ecaterina Szabo	Gymnastics: Horse Vault
	Elena Horvat (Horvath)	Rowing, Women's Coxless Pairs
	Karch Király	Indoor Volleyball
	Marcela Zsak	Fencing, Women's Foil Team Competition
	Elena Horvat (Horvath)	Fencing, Women's Foil Team Competition
	Aurora Dan	Fencing, Women's Foil Team Competition
	Rozalia Oros	Fencing, Women's Foil Team Competition
	Aneta Mihaly	Rowing, Women's Eights
	Stefan Tasnadi	Weightlifting, Men's Heavyweight (110 kg)
	Iosif Boros (Boros József)	Handball, Men's Team Competition
	Vilnos (Vilmos) Szabo	Fencing, Men's Sabre Team Competition
	Vasile Puscasu (Vilmos Puskas)	Wrestling, Freestyle Heavyweight (100 kg)

Featured 1984 Olympians

Karch Kiraly:
(b. 11/3/1960, Jackson, Michigan, USA)

The "greatest volleyballer ever"...
Charles (Károly) Frederick "Karch" Kiraly (prounounced "Kee-rye") of the United States is regarded by many as the greatest volleyballer ever. He learned the game from his father, a Hungarian doctor who had played the sport in his native country, and on the beaches of California, where Kiraly grew up. In 1986, the FIVB declared him the top player in the world, the first time that distinction had been given. He won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, 1985 World Cup, 1986 World Championships, and 1987 Pan-American Games. He played at UCLA in college, where he led them to three NCAA championships and was twice named most valuable player of the NCAA Tournament. Playing professionally in Italy, he helped Il Messaggero win the 1991 World Club Championship. Later a star at beach volleyball, he was the leading money winner and top player at that sport for most of the early 1990s. At Atlanta in 1996, Kiraly partnered Kent Steffes to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball. He did not compete at the 2000 Olympics, but continues to compete on the beach volleyball circuit.

Olympic medals: Gold: 3
World Championships: Gold: 1 (1986)
Pan American Games: Gold: 1 (1987)

- See the International Olympic Committee's Heroes or
- See Famous Hungarians' own Sports section

Ecaterina Szabo:
(b. Transylvania)
An ethnic Hungarian from Transylvania, Szabo knew not a word of Romanian prior to starting gymnastics. Coached by fellow Transylvanian-Hungarian legends Bela and Marta Karoly, she was known as the "next Nadia." Read more about Ecaterina (Szabó Katalin) - See Gymnastic Greats

Emilia Eberle:
(b. 3/4/1964, Arad, Transylvania)

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

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