Headstrong Hungarian Kristof Milak only has eyes for world records
The men's 200 butterfly Olympic champion split with his coach after Tokyo 2020 in a bid to break another world record, and take down Caeleb Dressel.
Swimming
Winning Olympic gold is not enough for Hungarian swimming star Kristof Milak.
Ever since he broke Michael Phelps’s 200 butterfly world record with a time of 1:50.73 at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, lowering that mark further has become his motivation.
After winning his first Olympic title in the event at Tokyo 2020, the Budapest native's muted reaction spoke volumes, and quickly went viral.
He was annoyed that a hole in his swimsuit had, in his opinion, prevented him from breaking his own world record.
“I was so sure that I had wasted so much energy on the swimsuit that I wasn’t going to get this world record – so I just swam… These little things, little nuances can take their toll on your swim because you lose concentration,” Milak told reporters after.
Kristof Milak teams up with Balazs Virth
This obsession with the numbers led to friction between Milak and his coach Attila Selmeci.
After a highly successful but tumultuous eight-year partnership, the swimmer decided to switch coaches after the Olympics to Balazs Virth.
Veteran coach Virth is well known in Hungarian swimming circles, having helped Daniel Gyurta win the men’s 200 breaststroke Olympic gold at London 2012, and worked with reigning women’s 200 butterfly world champion Boglarka Kapas.
“I felt it would be better for me to change, I could prepare myself more effectively, in a way that was more favourable to me,” Milak told RemoNews of the switch.
“I thought a lot about who to pursue my career with, I listened to the opinions of different people, I examined the possible solutions in all aspects and perspectives, and I chose Balazs.
“I am confident that we can work together effectively – in fact, I am confident in working together because I know the energy that the two of us have invested in this will pay off.
“I chose Balazs because I knew what results he had achieved with his students so far.”
The swimming prodigy's focus on world records has arguably always been there.
Olympics.com spoke to Milak at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (below), where the then 18-year-old won three gold medals and said the following afterwards:
"I'm getting better all the time. My goals for next year are to keep getting better results and to break records.
Emulating 'hero' Michael Phelps
Milak's aspiration to be the best ever, as opposed to the best in the world, stems from his desire to be unique.
“World Records are so precious because they are so hard to do again,“ the 22-year-old told Index.
"I watched how hard Katinka Hosszu had to work to achieve them. My other hero Michael Phelps needed three years to get to a new personal best. After 2003, he was only chasing himself until 2006.
“I do not have issues with reaching the wall and getting back to speed or dolphin kicks, but no one taught me how to turn properly. Strange to say it after a World Record, but I still have the feeling I sometimes die at the turns.”
Milak also revealed that he was enjoying the benefits that come with being a GOAT.
“I feel like my life has been changed. I have been invited to events I never would have been invited to before. I see myself on posters and this is really an unusual feeling.” - Kristof Milak to Index.
Hungary's new top swimmer
Milak would appear to be stepping into the shoes of Hosszu as Hungary’s best swimmer.
With the 2022 FINA World Championships taking place in his home city of Budapest, in his favourite pool, the Duna Arena, there are significant expectations on his broad shoulders.
But despite enjoying some of the trappings of his larger profile, being in the spotlight doesn’t sit well with a swimmer that is from a humble origins and intensely private.
“I love being alone. A lot of people say that I don’t listen to anyone, but that I only follow my own head. There is some truth to that, because what I imagine I can do, I do. So far this method has worked, I hope that there won’t be any problems with my stubbornness later,” he told Newsbeezer.
“I won’t give an address, but I can tell you that I spent and spend my time off on the Danube, more precisely in Ráckeve. My father and mother protect me against everything, they let me rest, they cook well for me, I can say they even protect me against the wind! It also goes well because I can rest a lot.”
Kristof Milak and Caeleb Dressel set for showdown
Milak won silver in the 100 butterfly at Tokyo 2020, and looks set to give gold medallist and world record holder Caeleb Dressel another strong challenge.
The Hungarian is one of only four men in history to crack the 50-second barrier in that event, and his European record of 49.68 is the second best in history.
“As I always say, the Duna Arena is my home. It’s my pool; number four is my lane; that is where I train and where I win races. I have only fond memories,” he said.
The stage has been set for at least one new Milak world record in the near future.