Hungary's greatest: Katinka Hosszu chases down Krisztina Egerszegi’s historic record

Katinka Hosszu could become Hungary’s greatest swimmer of all time at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The 'Iron Lady’ currently sits at number three, having picked up three individual golds at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Those victories came in the 100m backstroke, as well as her specialist 200m and 400m individual medley events.

Ahead of her at number two is Tamas Darnyi, who also did the 200m and 400m medley double at the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

But the top spot is currently occupied by the legendary Krisztina Egerszegi, who won five individual gold medals across three Games at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. Four of those titles came in the 100m and 200m backstroke, while she also landed a 400m medley title.

Incidentally, ‘Queen Krisztina’s’ record also makes her the second most successful Olympic swimmer of all time, with only Michel Phelps ahead of her on 13 individual golds.

Tokyo 2020 will be 32-year-old Hosszu’s fifth Olympic appearance, and even if she doesn't beat Egerszegi’s record, she has a very good chance of equalling it.

Katinka Hosszu v Krisztina Egerszegi: A comparison

Egerszegi made her Olympic debut as a 14-year-old at Seoul 1988, and became the youngest-ever female Olympic champion swimmer with victory in the 200m backstroke.

While Hosszu did not manage to win a medal in her first three Games, she was only 15 when she made her debut at Athens 2004.

To date, Hosszu and Egerszegi have won a combined 39 individual gold medals across the European Champs, Worlds and the Olympic Games.

Hosszu has nine individual World and 12 European titles on the long course, while Egerszegi won two World championships and eight European titles.

In 2015, Hosszu broke Egerszegi’s astonishing 17-year-old Hungarian record in the 200m backstroke. In doing so, she erased her hero entirely from the country’s senior national records, and now holds nine of Hungary's best long-course times.

While the younger swimmer undoubtedly benefits from improved start blocks, equipment and race strategy, it cannot be denied that her achievements are unmatched domestically.

The difficulties of staying No. 1

While Hungary's two First Ladies of swimming may make winning Olympic gold medals look simple, the reality is clearly something very different.

Swimming is a particularly demanding sport. Careers are often short due to the monotony of training, which can cause great physical and mental fatigue. As such, injuries and spells of bad form are a constant factor to contend with.

That workload is then essentially doubled for multi-event specialists like Hosszu.

It is also a sport where reputation counts for very little, which is also what makes it so exciting. Due to the popularity of swimming around the world, prodigies emerge constantly across all events and they are only too keen to take the scalp of an Olympic champion or world medallist.

While Hosszu is the heavy favourite to defend her two medley gold medals in Tokyo, she will have one eye on the likes of USA’s Melanie Margalis who is hitting form at the right time, as well as double Olympic gold medallist Ye Shiwen, who appears to be having a second wind in her career.

Elsewhere, Japanese stars Yui Ohashi and Rika Omoto will feel quietly confident of producing a special performance in home water.

Turbulent Olympic cycle 

The last five years have seen Hosszu experience more ups and downs than one of her 400m medley training sessions.

A well-documented split from her partner and coach Shane Tusup in 2018 led to a downturn in form, and left many wondering if the swimmer would ever rediscover her mojo.

But those doubts were put firmly to bed in 2019 when Hosszu, coaching herself, landed the 200m and 400m medley titles at the World Championships in Gwangju, Korea. 

The Hungarian’s victory in the 400m IM also meant that she had become the first woman to win the same event at World Championships five times. It was a timely reminder of the old adage that class is permanent.

“I like the 400 IM because it’s tough, it’s challenging and it hurts a lot, it shows you are,” she said after that victory on the last day of the event.

Choosing events for Tokyo Olympics

Just as Hosszu was building some form, the coronavirus pandemic meant another spell without competing.

But the Pecs-born swimmer has proven time and again that she rises to the big occasion, and true to form, she has put down some impressive performances in Stockholm and Helsinki in 2021.

“I feel a lot more like myself than before,” Hosszu told SwimSwam ahead of the European Championships in Budapest. “I still need to do a lot of work as always.

“I maybe need to cut back a bit in the gym and do more swimming.”

In short, she will be ready to compete at Tokyo 2020. But the question remains, which events will she select?

The 200m and 400m IM are a given, but it remains to be seen whether she also competes in the backstroke or butterfly sprints, or both.

It also remains to be seen what kind of crowd will be allowed inside the venues at the Olympics. Hosszu feeds off their energy and bigger crowds will likely mean more chances of gold for her.

“I find it really tough competing with no crowd and without much competition,” she said of her closed-door events so far in 2021. “It feels a bit like training. I really enjoy the atmosphere of racing, so I have to find it in myself now.”

But this is the 'Iron Lady’ we are talking about. Finding power within is her specialty, and whether there is a full-capacity crowd in attendance or not in Tokyo, Hosszu will have no trouble finding motivation in her pursuit of becoming Hungary's greatest Olympic swimmer.