An Olympian who would love to work in a doping control lab

What was the Olympic experience like?

For me, it was the first, however, I've just said to several people that I didn't like this phrase because it implies that there will be more, which is obviously not guaranteed at all. Anyway, it was a great experience, the Olympic village, the fact that almost all the athletes were there. Paris itself, which I had never been to before, is also one of a kind. So it was very exciting.

Did you get the chance to see any of Paris?

Yes, because although we had to move out of the village on 3 August, I managed to get an accommodation through friends. I added three days to my stay with a friend of mine.

Now that were’re a few days in the next Olympiad cycle, have you already set your sights on Los Angeles 2028?

I have, but I know that a lot can happen in four years, for I'm at university, but also for other reasons. Of course I would really like to be there. I finished tenth at the Olympics, as it also happened previously that I missed out on the finals of the World Championships, but this time I definitely felt I should be there. So it's not that I'm not committed or wouldn't want it badly enough. I see the potential in my swimming, but at the same time I know that my life can turn in a different direction.

Do you have a time result in mind when you say there’s potential in your swimming?

Yes. for several years you needed roughly the same time to get in the finals at the big international events, namely, 2:08.2. I feel I can do it. In fact, I want to be a family record holder. My brother, who also graduated from BME as a computer scientist, happened to be a backstroker. I'm not going to say what was his personal best in the 200m backstroke, but I think that could be a good goal. It’s not close, but not unattainable either. (Pál Szabó-Feltóthy swam 2:06.21 at the age of 18, according to Swimmer.hu - ed.)

When does the work start again for you? Will there be an important competition in the autumn?

In December there will be the Short Course World Championships in Budapest, which I should qualify for, though the short course is not really my thing. Then there's the World Championships in Singapore in the 50m pool, that's a clear target.

It is obviously a great achievement to finish tenth at the Olympics, especially considering that the winning time of Krisztina Egerszegi in 1988 was only a few tenths of a second better than yours. Which says a lot about the development of swimming. Does it make you feel bad that in Hungary even the Olympic points are not highly valued, let alone a tenth place?

Basically, no, because I don't read many comments. In this respect, I think I am handling the situation wisely. And it may sound bad from an athlete, but after the semi-final I felt that my happiness didn't depend on whether I swam two more minutes. Satisfaction comes from within, and I know that I have worked humbly through the whole year and the previous 18. That's it for now, I still love the weekdays, that's my luck: I do it because I enjoy it. Sure, it would be different with a better time result, but I can get over it.

You did win a bronze medal this year at the European Championships. Do you have a clue why it happened in the very year of the Olympics?

Yes, this year – and my 4th place at the World Championships also relates here – was finally a breakthrough in terms of how much professionally I handled it all. I subordinated everything to the Olympics, probably that’s why. I needed that bronze to finally break into the league where I want to belong.

In all the interviews and articles about you, your positive attitude is highlighted. Where do you get that from?

I guess it's basically my upbringing. While I love swimming, in every moment I am aware that this is not life, there is so much more to it. So I can take certain aspects of it more easily. Of course, I still get stressed out sometimes.

A compulsory question for every university student who is a professional athlete: how do you balance the two?

Swimming was the main focus lately, compared to my studies, but there have been semesters I've done quite well. I would say it's not impossible, just difficult. I've had to come to terms with the idea that other people would graduate from BME faster than me, but I have another full-time job after all, so it's understandable. I'll get my degree one day, until then I'll do it at my own pace. Anyway, I think you need to keep your brain busy with something. For me, it was alway natural to have two trainings alongside the school. There are lows, but you can get over them.

What kind of semester is coming?

Now I want to get better at it, to make progress. I am lagging behind in certain subjects, but in others I am not. It would be good to graduate before the next Olympics.

Are you thinking about what you're going to do with your chemistry degree?

I think I would like to stay close to sport, and there’s one thing that has also something to do with chemistry: doping control. I could see myself in a lab like that.

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