Petra Jászapáti won two individual medals, and one podium place in the relay.Continue reading
More Hungarian athletes are expected to compete in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics than in Beijing three years ago, where fourteen qualified. The XXV Olympic Winter Games will start in Italy in exactly one year’s time.
As usual, speed skaters have the best hopes. So far, the short-track section has only managed to field a full team of ten at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, and the aim is to repeat this feat, said Ákos Bánhidi, the sector’s sports director. He explained that the women’s relay team has every chance of qualifying, while the men’s quartet’s prospects are “not impossible.”
In long-track speed skating, no Hungarians competed in 2022, but this time, with the arrival of Kim Minseok, naturalized as a Hungarian citizen, participation is almost certain.
The athlete, who has three Olympic medals in South Korean colors, could be in with a chance of a medal this time too, qualifying for the men’s 1000m and 1500m.
In figure skating the number of Hungarian competitors could increase as well, compared to the two qualifiers in the last event. According to Csaba Bálint, the sector’s sports director, “if nothing unexpected happens, there is no question of qualifying in pairs, but it is also a realistic goal in ice dancing, while in men’s singles it is neither impossible.”
In skiing, there will be fewer participants and a more modest result is expected. According to Bertold Szepesi, the federation captain, one male and one female competitor in the alpine discipline can be taken for granted in the technical events, which can be increased to a maximum of four in the qualification period, ending next January.
In cross-country skiing, it will be decided at the end of the season whether the men’s team will be able to qualify for two of the top 30 nations. Thanks to the results of Ádám Kónya and Ádám Büki, Hungary is currently 23rd in the ranking. According to Emőke Szőcs, national team coach, a quota in the women’s team is also a realistic objective.
Among the snowboarders, Kamilla Kozuback, who also competed in Beijing, can not only hope to qualify, but could also make the top ten in slopestyle and big air.
In team curling, it has already been decided that neither the men’s nor the women’s team, nor mixed doubles, will qualify for Italy.
In ice hockey, the women’s team have a chance to qualify, but they must win the four-team qualifying tournament in Germany this week. Second place could be enough to progress.
The Hungarian national team training for the women’s ice hockey Olympic qualification tournament at Eisarena Bremerhaven (Germany) on February 5, 2025. Photo: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt
If Hungarian athletes are successful, the delegation will be the largest ever at the next Winter Olympics, with around 23 athletes in total.
The previous record was set at the Innsbruck Games in 1964, when 28 Hungarian athletes competed.
In total, eight to ten Hungarian athletes are expected to compete in short track speed skating, one in long-track speed skating, two to five in figure skating, two to four in alpine skiing, two to three in cross-country skiing, up to one in cross-country skiing, and one or two in snowboarding. In addition, the Hungarian delegation of 16-25 would be roughly doubled by the women’s ice hockey team’s participation.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd