Sunday's three kilometer knockout final was an extremely close contest, with the winner decided by a photo finish.Continue reading
For the first time in the history of Hungarian open water swimming, the delegation finished the World Championships with three medals: Dávid Betlehem came second and Bettina Fábián third in the 3-kilometer knockout sprint race, and then the competition ended with a bronze medal in the relay.
On Friday, Bettina Fábián won the first individual world championship medal for the Hungarian delegation and the first of her career. At the competition in Singapore, she finished third in a tie in the 3-kilometer knockout sprint race. The 20-year-old Hungarian competitor said after the race, fighting back tears, that during the breaks, everyone was just “trying to catch their breath.”
Even if I am not in the best physical shape, I feel very strong mentally. This is the medal I am most proud of in the world,”
added the athlete.
“I will climb out of the pit if I have to. In recent years, I have gone through a lot of difficulties that would have broken others. You cannot tell by looking at me, but I am a damn strong girl. Yesterday, I lost a little confidence after the five kilometers, but I knew I could win this medal mentally,” said Fábián, who was diagnosed with mononucleosis at the beginning of last year before the Olympic qualifying world championships in Doha, but still made it to the Paris Games.
The next day, on Saturday, Dávid Betlehem also excelled, winning a silver medal in the 3 km knockout sprint race. The 21-year-old Hungarian competitor thus won the first individual world championship medal of his career.
His compatriot, Kristóf Rasovszky, finished sixth as the European champion in the event.
Bronze medalist Bettina Fábián and silver medalist Dávid Betlehem. Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Sunday’s team competition also ended with a medal:
The Hungarian relay team consisting of Bettina Fábián, Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas, Kristóf Rasovszky, and Dávid Betlehem won the bronze medal.
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
“It always turns out that no matter how you vary the order, in the end it is always the same teams fighting for the medals, and they do not let us off the hook. This is my third medal in the relay at the World Championships. We are very stable, and we will not give up on our dreams. One day, we will stand at the top of the podium,” said Bettina Fábián after the race.
The Hungarian team has now stood on the podium in this event at four consecutive world championships and won three medals at a World Championship for the first time.
The winning German team, the silver medalist Italian team, and the bronze medalist Hungarian team. Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd