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István Vaskuti was selected by the Athletes of the Nation as a new member of their society.
István Vaskuti, who was selected by vote on Wednesday by the current Athletes of the Nation, won the 500-meter canoe double sculls at the 1980 Olympics and was the first vice president of the International Canoe Federation between 2008 and 2016 as a sports official. He is a ten-time world champion, served on the board of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, has been a member of the Hungarian Association of Immortal Hungarian Athletes since 1998, and was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2006.
Secretary of State for Sports Ádám Schmidt informed Vaskuti by phone that he was elected as a new member with seven valid votes.
“I appreciate it very much that the members have taken me into their ranks,” Vaskuti said.
No kayak-canoe competitor has ever been an Athlete of the Nation.
Vaskuti told public media that he was probably chosen because his activities are quite diverse. He added that the decision also recognizes the success of the sport.
“It fills me with great pride to be among the best and to receive such recognition from such distinguished individuals, there can be no greater honor,” he said, and recalled that he and László Foltán missed the buoy line at the Moscow Olympics and stopped at the finish line. However, they had such an advantage that they won anyway.
A place became vacant in the exclusive company of the twelve Athletes of the Nation following the death of wrestler János Varga last December.
According to the Law on Sport, the Athletes of the Nation propose a new member who is nominated by the Secretary of State for Sport. The government then decides on the candidate.
Panel members must be over 60 years of age, have outstanding athletic achievements, and have played an important role in the national sports landscape following their athletic careers.
Nine of the Athletes of the Nation voted in attendance, two by telephone. Photo: Ádám Schmidt, Facebook
The current Athletes of the Nation are András Balczó, István Jónyer, László Hammerl, Mária Ivánkay, Jenő Kamuti, Ágnes Keleti, Zoltán Magyar, Lajos Portisch, Ildikó Rejtő, Pál Schmitt, and Tamás Faragó.
Via: MTI ; Featured photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán