Hosszu & Co Want Hungarian Heads To Roll; World Titles & 2024 Olympic Bid Rattled

Hungary’s leading swimmers are in revolt. Their target is their own national federation, the potential victim in what the Hungarian media have described as a “bitter dispute”, Budapest’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games (though controversy and scandal never stood in the way of many a deeply dubious moment in Olympic history).

The swimmers, including Péter Bernek, Gábor Financsek, Dániel Gyurta, Katinka Hosszú, Boglárka Kapás and Dávid and Evelyn Verrasztó – the most decorated Hungarian swimmer of the past 20 years, Lazslo Cseh a notable absentee in the swimmers’ ranks on this issue – seek a complete overhaul of a federation led by FINA vice-president Tamas Gyarfas, head of the international federation’s media operations, commission and its official magazine, Aquatics.

Tamas Gyarfas (looking at Katinka Hosszu), with Laszlo Kiss, far left, and Shane Tusup (right) have been making headlines in Hungary – ragout from borsonline.hu as the dispute took hold before Rio 2016

Hungary’s Government is keen to defuse the row and has backed calls for reform. Hosszu wants blood: Gyarfa’s head, despite the fact that the federation boss might well have been accused of being overly supportive of her in the past. The Olympic edition of the FINA Magazine features a cover with Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, the outstanding man and woman of the swimming events in Rio but a place of equal prominence is provided for Hosszu on the cover.

Hosszu accuses Gyarfas of running the sport in Hungary in an authoritarian and opaque manner. Gyarfas has been at the helm since 1993, barring a small time out when he resigned over a scandal he said he played no part in: Hungarian swimming made up an entire meet to submit qualification times for its squad ahead of the 1996 Olympic Games, at which Krisztina Egerszegi confirmed her status as the greatest Hungarian swimmer in Olympic history when she joined Dawn Fraser in the club of triple-crown successes (200m backstroke, gold 1988, 1992, 1996; while 1992 included gold in the 100m backstroke and the 400m medley, contributing to a record five solo golds in Olympic waters), who has headed the association with only a brief break since 1993, denies the accusations of mismanagement.

Medals factory: Katinka Hosszu  and Shane Tusup [Photo by Aniko Kovacs]

Since the start of the current controversy, head coach Laszlo Kiss, mentor to Egerszegi, has been forced to resign over historic allegations. This week, the Hungarian shoal issued a statement calling for new leadership, better conditions, transparent rules and fair access to funds. One coach featured prominently on the day of the announcement: Hosszu’s husband Shane Tusup, a …

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