Most of the athletes are from one of Budapest's top clubs: the Ferencváros Gymnastics Club has 23 Olympians.Continue reading
In her tightly fought final match, epée fencer Eszter Muhari won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. She won the first medal for the Hungarian Olympic team in Paris.
The 21-year-old fencer reached the semi-finals by beating China’s Tang Chung-jao, South Korea’s 2022 world champion Song Sera and another Chinese, Yu Se-han, where she lost to France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton, this year’s European silver medalist. She was thus in a final battle for third place with Estonia’s Nelli Differt.
Eszter Muhari (L) and Nelli Differt. Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
All day long, Eszter Muhari fought with great focus and attention, and shortly after her last match she said with relief that she could finally stop concentrating. “It takes a lot out of me mentally, physically, I cannot smile at anyone because then I lose focus immediately,” she explained. She revealed that she has worked very hard in her mind to be able to perform like this, she has been preparing for months.
That is the biggest key to fencing, that everything is decided in your head,”
she stressed.
Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
She was decisive with the shot he took at the end of the bronze medal match because she had outside help. “I looked at my coach and saw a confidence in him that gave me the courage in the last touch and to believe in the work we have done together for the last 13 years. Finally that courage came out of me and I was able to make the action that got me the last touch,” she recalled the circumstances of the bronze medal winning action.
Eszter Muhari with her coach István László after her win against Nelli Differt. Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
For Eszter Muhari, her participation in the Paris Olympics was decided at the end of May. “The whole year has been a huge rollercoaster ride and now I finally feel that I have reached, if not the top, then I have met my own expectations:
I came for a medal and I managed to get it,”
she said, adding that the fact that she had already won the quota was a huge success and that this time her performance was “just icing on the cake.” Regarding the semi-final loss and the bronze medal, he said: “I am a little disappointed, but it is my first Olympics, I am 21 and I want to deal with it in the right way.
Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong Man Wai (C), the winner, silver medalist Auriane Mallo-Breton (L) and bronze medalist Eszter Muhari (R). Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor
A busy day for the Hungarian team on Monday, with several medal contenders to cheer on today. Anna Márton, Liza Pusztai and Luca Szűcs will be hoping for medals in the women’s fencing, while Dániel Dósa will also be competing in the men’s foil, Eurosport reports.
Also on Monday, the Hungarian men’s handball and women’s water polo teams can improve their performances, as both started the weekend with defeats. The men’s handball team will play against Argentina, while the women’s water polo team will play against Canada.
Vivien Jackl, 15, made her debut at the national swimming championships in April, and
her times could see her qualify for the 400m medley final on Monday, a huge achievement for the youngest member of the Hungarian delegation.
In addition to her, Zalán Sárkány will be competing in the men’s 800m freestyle.
In the men’s 63.5 kg weight category boxing, Richárd Kovács will start against Harry Garside of Australia in the last eight.
Via MTI, Eurosport; Featured image: MTI/Illyés Tibor