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Athens 1906

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.

The Olympic movement returned to Athens for the "Intercalated" Games of 1906.1906 Athens Highlights

After disappointing receptions in Paris and St. Louis, the Olympic movement returned to Athens for the "Intercalated" Games of 1906. The mutual desire of Greece and Baron de Coubertin to recapture the spirit of the 1896 Games led to an understanding that the Greeks would host an interim games every four years between Olympics. Nearly 900 athletes from 20 countries came to Athens, including, for the first time, an official American team picked by the USOC. The enthusiasm for these Games was great and the Games seemed to regain their popularity.

Unfortunately, because of political unrest in Greece around 1910, the intercalated Games were cancelled for that year and never continued. Medals won are now considered unofficial by the IOC.

  • Swimmer Halmay Zoltan wins 3rd Gold and 3rd Silver!
  • Speedwalker Gyorgy Sztantics takes Gold!
Medal
 Name Event
Gold
 György Sztántics 3000m Speed Walking
Gold
 Jozsef Onody Swimming: 4x250m freestyle
Gold
 Geza Kiss Swimming: 4x250m freestyle
Gold
 Henrik Hajos Swimming: 4x250m freestyle
Gold
 Zoltan Halmay Swimming: 4x250m freestyle
Gold
 Zoltan Halmay Swimming: 100m freestyle

Featured 1906 Olympians

Zoltán Jenõ Halmay
 (b. 6/18/1881, Nagymagasfalu, Northern Hungary (today Vysoká pri Morave after Slovak annexation following the Treaty of Trianon)- d. 5/20/1956, Budapest)

Winner of 9 Olympic Medals!
Halmay competed in three consecutive Olympics and medaled in each one. His swimming prowess earned him:

  • 3 Medals in 1900: 2 Silver (220yd, 4000m freestyle), 1 Bronze (1000m freestyle)
  • 2 Medals in 1904: 2 Gold (50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle)
  • 2 Medals in 1906: 1 Gold (4x250m freestyle relay), 1 Silver (100m freestyle); and 
  • 2 more Medals in 1908: 2 Silver (100m freestyle; 4x200m freestyle relay).

Halmay Zoltán erdőtelki (A Pozsony megyei Magasfalu melletti Dubrava tanyán, 1881. június 18. – Budapest, 1956. május 20.) kétszeres olimpiai bajnok úszó.

Halmay Zoltán sírja Budapesten. Farkasréti temető: 30/2-1-4. Kisfaludi Strobl Zsigmond domborműve.Tíz éves volt, amikor a családja a fővárosba költözött. 1896-tól a MÚE (Magyar Úszó Egylet), majd 1904-től az MTK (Magyar Testgyakorlók Köre) úszójaként és vízilabdázójaként sportolt. Nemzetközi szintű eredményeit úszásban érte el. Továbbfejlesztette a váltott karú, lábmunka nélküli gyorsúszási technikát – a magyar tempót – amelyet Gräfl Ödön, magyar úszóbajnok fejlesztett ki. E technikával az 1904. évi nyári olimpiai játékokon két olimpiai bajnoki címet szerzett. Ő lett a 100 méteres és a 220 yardos gyorsúszás első hivatalos világcsúcstartója is (1905, 100 m: 1:05.8 ; 1908, 220 yard: 2:26.8). Még aktív úszóként 1908-tól 1910-ig, majd később 1919-től 1928-ig a magyar úszó válogatott szövetségi kapitánya volt. 1910-től újságírással is foglalkozott. 1968-ban az Úszó Hírességek Csarnoka tagjává választották.

Sporteredményei [szerkesztés]

  • kétszeres olimpiai bajnok (1904: 50 yard gyors, 100 yard gyors)
  • négyszeres olimpiai 2. helyezett (1900: 200 m gyors, 4000 m gyors; 1908: 100 m gyors, 4×200 m gyorsváltó)
  • egyszeres olimpiai 3. helyezett (1900: 1000 m gyors) az 1906-os nemhivatalos (pánhellén) olimpián bajnok (4×250 m gyorsváltó) és 2. helyezett (100 m gyors)
  • tizenötszörös magyar bajnok:
    1 mérföld: 1897, 1899
    100 yard: 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907
    440 yard: 1905, 1907
    220 yard: 1906, 1907, 1908
    110 yard: 1908
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