This is Hungary's third gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In the women’s 500m sprint kayak double, Bodonyi and Kozák won bronze.Continue reading
Following a grueling battle, team Hungary, consisting of Danuta Kozák, Tamara Csipes, Anna Kárász, and Dóra Bodonyi, claimed the gold medal in the Women’s Kayak Four 500m in Tokyo, securing their third consecutive Olympic victory for Hungary in this event.
The Hungarian team had a good start at the Sea Forest Waterway in the pouring rain. The boat of Kozák, Csipes, Kárász and Bodonyi managed to hit the halfway mark in second place, slightly behind the Belarusian team. However, after a huge burst of energy, the Hungarian kayak four managed to surpass their competition and secure a well-deserved win by half a boat length.
Photo: Tamás Kovács/MTI
The victory is particularly special as the Hungarian women’s kayak four, after London and Rio de Janeiro, claimed victory in this event for the third time in a row.
“Before the final, I told the girls that we always did our best when we needed to, and that this would be the case yet again. We were a bit surprised in the semi-final when we saw how everyone was pushing next to us. But in the final it was a different story, and there we were rowing out of anger,” Tamara Csipes said to Origo after the race.
Tamara Csipes pocketed the second Olympic gold of her career, while it is the first for Anna Kárász and Dóra Bodonyi.
Meanwhile the leader of the team, Danuta Kozák, made history, winning her sixth Olympic gold medal and becoming the most successful Hungarian female Olympian of all time, ahead of Ágnes Keleti and Krisztina Egerszegi.
“This is a lifetime success. At the cost of a lot of suffering and bitterness, but a success,” said Kozák reflecting on her achievements at the Olympic Games.
Featured photo by Tmaás Kovács/MTI