One Gold and One Bronze for Hungary in Water Sports

In the women's kayak four 500-meter final, the Hungarian team defended their title to win the sixth gold for Hungary in Tokyo 2020, while the country's national team defeated the Russian Olympic Committee side in women's water polo to take the bronze medal.

The Hungarian quartet won the women's kayak 500-meter event confidently in London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016, but this time there was reason to worry about the New Zealand team led by five-time Olympic champion Lisa Carrington as well as Poland. In addition, the weather conditions have changed considerably compared to the last few days: it rained before the final and for a short while, the wind stopped completely.

However, the Hungarian team of Danuta Kozák (already five-time Olympic champion before this final), Anna Kárász, Tamara Csipes and Dóra Bodonyi was not bothered by this. The Hungarian did not have a bad start: at the half-way mark, they were in second place behind the Belarussians, then, in the second 250 meters, they shot out, basically leaving the field ‘standing’, and stroke by stroke they increased their lead, beating the Belarussians and the Poles by more than half a second.

In water polo, Hungarian women lost to Spain in the semi-final and faced the Russian Olympic Committee team in the match for the bronze medal. Hungary played for the bronze at the previous three Olympic Games but lost on all of these occasions. In 2016, it happened to the Russian team that beat the Hungarians.

This year, the two sides played a 10-all draw in the group stage. In the bronze match, the first quarter ended 2-all. In the second quarter, Hungary took a three-goal lead (7-4) but the Russians came back by scoring four goals in a row and led 8-7 after the third quarter. However, the last quarter again saw a Hungarian revival and eventually, a victory of 11-9.

This victory makes Danuta Kozák the most successful Hungarian female athlete in Olympic history.

Before the last competition day of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, the Hungarian delegation is 13^th on the medal table with 19 medals (six gold, seven silver and six bonze).