Hungarian Athlete of the Year Gala 2021

The Hungarian Sports Journalists Association (MSÚSZ) has elected three-time Olympic champion fencer Áron Szilágyi as Athlete of the Year in the men's category and Tamara Csipes, member of the Olympic champion Hungarian kayak-four team and silver medalist in singles kayak, as Sportswoman of the Year 2021. The winners were celebrated at a gala in Budapest this Thursday evening.

The best team of the year in traditional team sports was the women's water polo team that won bronze at the Tokyo Games, while the women's kayak quartet of Danuta Kozák, Tamara Csipes, Anna Kárász and Dóra Bodonyi won the team competition in individual sports. Among the coaches, András Decsi, coach of Szilágyi and the men's sword team, bronze medalists in the Japanese capital, received the most votes.

"2021 was a great year, for me specifically. I can see from the level of celebration that it was also for Hungarian sport. I wish the same or even greater success for 2022," said the applauded Áron Szilágyi, who came seventh in the traditional year-end voting of the International Association of Sports Journalists (AIPS).

In the competition for athletes with disabilities, the winners were kayaker Péter Pál Kiss and swimmer Bianka Pap, both gold medalists at the Tokyo Paralympics. In the team competition, the women's wheelchair fencing team came first.

The ceremony, which was held in front of an audience again after a one-year break due to the coronavirus epidemic, commemorated the Hungarian sporting greats who passed away in 2021.