Dezső Gyarmati Facts for Kids

The native form of this personal name is Gyarmati Dezső. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Quick facts for kids

Dezső Gyarmati

Personal information

Born

23 October 1927
Miskolc, Hungary

Died

18 August 2013 (aged 85)
Budapest, Hungary

Nationality

Hungarian

Height

1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)

Weight

83 kg (183 lb)

Position

Utility

Handedness

Left

Senior clubs

Years

Team

Újpesti TE

Ferencvárosi TC

Medal record

Men's Water Polo

Representing Hungary
Olympic Games
Silver	1948 London	Team Competition
Gold	1952 Helsinki	Team Competition
Gold	1956 Melbourne	Team Competition
Bronze	1960 Rome	Team Competition
Gold	1964 Tokyo	Team Competition
European Championship
Gold	1954	Team Competition
Gold	1962	Team Competition

Dezső Gyarmati (born October 23, 1927 – died August 18, 2013) was a famous Hungarian water polo player. He is known as one of the greatest water polo players ever. Gyarmati won three Olympic gold medals during his career. Later, he became a very successful coach for the Hungarian national water polo team. People often called him a "legendary player" because he won so many awards.

Early Life and Family
Amazing Player Career
Successful Coaching Career
Political Life
Awards and Honors
His Passing
See also

Early Life and Family

Dezső Gyarmati was born in a city called Miskolc in Hungary. His family was also very talented in sports.

His wife was Éva Székely, a swimmer who won a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in the 200-meter breaststroke. Their daughter, Andrea Gyarmati, also became a great swimmer. She won two Olympic medals in 1972. Andrea was also a world record holder in the 100-meter butterfly swim.

Amazing Player Career

Dezső Gyarmati was a special kind of player called a "utility player." This meant he could play well in any position in the water polo game. He was also left-handed, which made him even more unique.

He is the most successful water polo player in Olympic history. Gyarmati played in five different Olympic Games. He won three gold medals with the Hungarian team. These wins were at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

His team also earned a silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. They won a bronze medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Gyarmati also helped his team win the European Championship twice, in 1954 and 1962.

He played 108 games for the Hungarian national team. Gyarmati was one of the fastest water polo players of his time. He could swim 100 meters in just 58.5 seconds.

One famous game he played was the "Blood in the Water match" at the 1956 Olympics. This game was between Hungary and the Soviet Union. Even though it was a tough game, Gyarmati scored the first goal. He also helped set up three other goals, leading Hungary to a 4-0 victory and the Olympic title.

Successful Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Gyarmati became a water polo coach. He first coached the Colombian national team from 1970 to 1971.

Then, from 1972 to 1980, he coached the Hungarian men's national team. He coached them again from 1985 to 1988. Under his coaching, the team won many more medals. They won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. They also got a silver medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and a bronze at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

This made him one of the most successful water polo coaches in Olympic history. He is one of the few people to win Olympic medals in water polo as both a player and a head coach. His team also won the first-ever FINA World Championship in 1973. They also won the first FINA World Cup in 1979. They were European Champions in 1974 and 1977.

In the 1980s, Gyarmati also coached Hungarian club teams. He led them to win several medals in the national league. He was also a member of the board for the Hungarian Water Polo Federation. He even wrote several books about water polo, including a history of the sport in Hungary.

Political Life

After the Soviet Union broke apart in 1989, Dezső Gyarmati decided to enter politics. Because he was so famous and respected from his sports career, he was elected to the Hungarian Parliament. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1994. He was part of a committee that dealt with local government and public safety.

He tried to be elected again in 1994 and 1998 but was not successful. In 2003, he was chosen to lead the Sports Section of a political party's Cultural Department.

Awards and Honors

Bust of Dezső Gyarmati

Besides his many Olympic medals, Dezső Gyarmati received other important awards:

In 1976, he was added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the best swimmers and water polo players in the world.
In 2004, he was given the title of Athlete of the Nation. This is a very high honor in Hungary.
He received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 1994.
In 2010, he received the Grand Cross, which is the highest civilian award for someone who is not a head of state.

His Passing

Dezső Gyarmati passed away in Budapest on August 18, 2013, at the age of 85. The international swimming organization, FINA, said they were "in mourning." They called him one of the greatest water polo players of all time. FINA described him as a "left-handed genius" who could play in any position. They said he was known for his brave approach in every game and could win big matches all by himself.

FINA also mentioned that even though he was sick for a long time, he still watched Hungary's last game before the 2013 World Championship. He even watched Hungary win the Championship from his hospital bed.

Dezső Gyarmati facts for kids

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