OlympiCafé

The 13th Summer Paralympic Games (PG) has just recently come to an end and Hungary performed quite well. 33 Hungarian Paralympic contesters took part of which 4 won 1 golden and 5 bronze medals all together.

A young man (Attila Vajda - man C1) fresh in Olympic Games and two Hungarian girls (Katalin Kovács and Natasa Janic - woman K2) proved in Beijing that Kayak-Canoe is still the most successful sport for Hungarians. The Hungarian team that was among the most populous and strongest ones had finally won 2 gold medals, a silver one and a bronze. In a sport where only 6 countries had taken any medal, they closed as the 2rd most successful team following Germany.

''I am sailing, I am sailing,
home again, 'cross the sea.
I am sailing stormy waters
To be near you, to be free''
Does it ring a bell to you? On behalf of Zsombor Berecz, Áron Gádorfalvi and Diana Detre we can agree with Rod Stuart: in Hungary you find ‘neither sea nor stormy water.’ But how could it happen that there are three Hungarians qulified themselves to the Beiijing Games?The answer is: lake Balaton, the biggest one of Europe that gives place for number of international competitions.

Tough dominance of Hungarians in fencing has been much stronger in the past, there are still very talentful sportsmen and women for whom we can keep our fingers crossed in the Beijing Games. Unfortunately both individual and team contests caused dissapointment in Hungary's most successful sport. At the same time Ildikó Mincza-Nébald Sydney's 4th placer had this time taken the bronze medal in women's individual epee after having lost in semi-finals with only one point.

Two athletes will represent the Hungarian Gymnastics in Beijing at the 29th Olympic Games in the following three weeks. Although Dorina Böczögő is just 16 years old she fought her quota for membership of the Team. Besides her, Róbert Gál will attend his second Olympic Games this summer.