Katinka Hosszú facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Katinka Hosszú

Hosszú at the 2015 World Championships
Personal information
Nickname(s)	"Iron Lady"
Born	(1989-05-03) 3 May 1989 (age 36) Pécs, Hungary
Height	1.75 m
Weight	68 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle, medley, backstroke, butterfly
Club	Iron Swim, Team Iron (ISL)
College team	University of Southern California
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Hungary Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 0 World Championships (LC) 9 1 5 World Championships (SC) 17 8 2 European Championships (LC) 15 6 4 European Championships (SC) 20 4 2 Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m backstroke Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m medley Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 400 m medley Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m backstroke World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 400 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 200 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 400 m medley Gold 2015 Kazan 200 m medley Gold 2015 Kazan 400 m medley Gold 2017 Budapest 200 m medley Gold 2017 Budapest 400 m medley Gold 2019 Gwangju 200 m medley Gold 2019 Gwangju 400 m medley Silver 2017 Budapest 200 m backstroke Bronze 2009 Rome 200 m butterfly Bronze 2009 Rome 200 m medley Bronze 2013 Barcelona 200 m butterfly Bronze 2015 Kazan 200 m backstroke Bronze 2017 Budapest 200 m butterfly World Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Istanbul 200 m butterfly Gold 2012 Istanbul 100 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 100 m backstroke Gold 2014 Doha 200 m backstroke Gold 2014 Doha 100 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 200 m medley Gold 2016 Windsor 100 m backstroke Gold 2016 Windsor 200 m backstroke Gold 2016 Windsor 100 m butterfly Gold 2016 Windsor 200 m butterfly Gold 2016 Windsor 100 m medley Gold 2016 Windsor 200 m medley Gold 2016 Windsor 400 m medley Gold 2018 Hangzhou 200 m butterfly Gold 2018 Hangzhou 100 m medley Gold 2018 Hangzhou 200 m medley Gold 2018 Hangzhou 400 m medley Silver 2012 Istanbul 200 m freestyle Silver 2012 Istanbul 200 m medley Silver 2014 Doha 200 m freestyle Silver 2014 Doha 200 m butterfly Silver 2014 Doha 400 m medley Silver 2016 Windsor 200 m freestyle Silver 2016 Windsor 50 m backstroke Silver 2018 Hangzhou 100 m backstroke Bronze 2012 Istanbul 400 m medley Bronze 2014 Doha 50 m backstroke European Championships (LC) Gold 2010 Budapest 200 m butterfly Gold 2010 Budapest 200 m medley Gold 2010 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 Debrecen 200 m butterfly Gold 2012 Debrecen 200 m medley Gold 2012 Debrecen 400 m medley Gold 2014 Berlin 100 m backstroke Gold 2014 Berlin 200 m medley Gold 2014 Berlin 400 m medley Gold 2016 London 200 m backstroke Gold 2016 London 200 m medley Gold 2016 London 400 m medley Gold 2016 London 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2018 Glasgow 200 m medley Gold 2020 Budapest 400 m medley Silver 2008 Eindhoven 400 m medley Silver 2010 Budapest 400 m medley Silver 2012 Debrecen 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2014 Berlin 200 m freestyle Silver 2016 London 100 m backstroke Silver 2020 Budapest 200 m butterfly Bronze 2014 Berlin 200 m butterfly Bronze 2014 Berlin 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2020 Budapest 200 m medley Bronze 2022 Rome 4×200 m freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Chartres 200 m butterfly Gold 2012 Chartres 100 m medley Gold 2012 Chartres 200 m medley Gold 2013 Herning 200 m medley Gold 2015 Netanya 50 m backstroke Gold 2015 Netanya 100 m backstroke Gold 2015 Netanya 200 m backstroke Gold 2015 Netanya 100 m medley Gold 2015 Netanya 200 m medley Gold 2015 Netanya 400 m medley Gold 2017 Copenhagen 50 m backstroke Gold 2017 Copenhagen 100 m backstroke Gold 2017 Copenhagen 200 m backstroke Gold 2017 Copenhagen 100 m medley Gold 2017 Copenhagen 200 m medley Gold 2017 Copenhagen 400 m medley Gold 2019 Glasgow 200 m butterfly Gold 2019 Glasgow 100 m medley Gold 2019 Glasgow 200 m medley Gold 2019 Glasgow 400 m medley Silver 2012 Chartres 400 m medley Silver 2013 Herning 100 m medley Silver 2013 Herning 400 m medley Silver 2015 Netanya 400 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Vienna 400 m medley Bronze 2013 Herning 200 m backstroke

Katinka Hosszú (born May 3, 1989) is a famous Hungarian swimmer. She is known for being great at many different swimming styles, especially the individual medley events. People call her the "Iron Lady" because she is so strong and competes in many races.

Katinka has won three gold medals at the Olympic Games and nine gold medals at the World Championships (long course). She also holds a world record in the 200-meter individual medley (long course). She was the first swimmer ever to hold world records in all five individual medley events at the same time! She has won the FINA Swimmer of the Year award four times.

She has competed in five Summer Olympics: in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Katinka also owns a swim school and club in Budapest called Iron Swim Budapest. She was also a co-owner and captain of Team Iron, a team in the International Swimming League. In 2014, she became the first swimmer (male or female) to earn over a million dollars in prize money from races.

About Katinka Hosszú

Katinka Hosszú was born in Pécs, Hungary. She grew up in Baja and started swimming when she was very young. Her grandfather, László Bakos, was her first swimming coach until she was 13 years old.

The "Iron Lady" Nickname

After the 2012 London Olympics, Katinka was disappointed because she didn't win any medals. She decided to ask her boyfriend at the time, Shane Tusup, to become her coach. After this, she started competing in many events at swim meets and winning lots of medals. At one competition in Beijing, Chinese newspapers said she was "made out of iron" because she was so strong and busy. This is how she got her famous nickname, The Iron Lady.

Family Life

Katinka married Shane Tusup in 2013. Later, they decided to get divorced in 2018. In 2022, Katinka married her boyfriend, Máté Layber-Gelencsér. They welcomed their daughter, Kamília Layber-Gelencsér, in the summer of 2023. A movie about her life, called "Katinka," was also released in theaters in 2022.

Swimming Career Highlights

Katinka Hosszú is known for being able to swim many different events very well in a short amount of time. This makes her one of the most versatile swimmers in the world.

Early Career and First Medals (2004-2009)

Katinka first competed internationally at the 2004 Summer Olympics when she was just 15 years old. She won her first medal, a bronze, at the 2004 European Short Course Swimming Championships in the 400-meter individual medley. At the 2005 European Junior Swimming Championships, she won three gold medals and two silver medals. In 2008, she won her first long course medal, a silver, at the European Championships.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, she won two bronze medals before becoming a World Champion in the 400-meter individual medley. Because of her amazing achievements, she was named Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year.

European Champion (2010)

In 2010, at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships held in her home country, Hungary, she won a silver medal in the 400-meter medley. She also became a European Champion in the 200-meter butterfly, 200-meter medley, and as part of the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay team.

College Success (2011)

While attending the University of Southern California, Katinka had a fantastic year in 2011. She won three individual National Championships in college swimming. She was recognized as the top female college swimmer for that year.

Olympic Journey and Comeback (2012-2013)

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Katinka finished fourth in the 400-meter individual medley, just missing a medal. She also placed eighth in the 200-meter individual medley. Even though some people suggested she should retire, she decided to keep swimming. This led to her working with Shane Tusup as her coach, and she started her incredible comeback.

In 2013, Katinka worked hard to prove herself after the 2012 Olympics. She competed in many races and swam very challenging programs. She won three medals (two gold, one bronze) at the World Championships. She also won a gold and two silver medals at the European Championships. During the World Cup series that year, she won 24 gold medals and broke 6 world records!

2013 World Championships

At the 2013 World Championships, she won the 200-meter individual medley. She also earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly. She finished her competition with another gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley.

Hosszú in 2013

Breaking Records (2014-2015)

In 2014, Katinka broke several short course world records, including in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, and in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter individual medleys.

2015 World Championships

Hosszú (right), Emily Seebohm of Australia, and Missy Franklin of U.S in the victory ceremony of 2015 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Katinka competed in many events. She broke the world record in the 200-meter individual medley with an amazing time of 2:06.12. She also won a bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke and took home another gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley.

Olympic Glory (2016)

2016 Summer Olympics

Katinka Hosszú in Rio 2016

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was a huge success for Katinka. She won a gold medal and broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley. She also won a gold medal and broke the Olympic record in the 200-meter individual medley. Her third gold medal came in the 100-meter backstroke. She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke. Katinka won more individual medals than any other swimmer at these Olympics.

2016 World Short Course Championships

At the World Short Course Championships in Windsor, Katinka won an amazing 9 individual medals (7 gold and 2 silver). She won gold in all three individual medley events (100-, 200-, and 400-meter), both butterfly events (100- and 200-meter), and both backstroke events (100- and 200-meter).

Continuing Success (2017-2019)

2017 World Championships

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in her home country, Hungary, Katinka continued her winning streak. She won gold medals in both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events. She also earned a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke and a bronze in the 200-meter butterfly.

2018 European Championships

At the 2018 European Aquatics Championships in Glasgow, Katinka won the gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. This made her the first female swimmer to win the same event five times in a row at the European Championships!

2019 World Championships

At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in South Korea, Katinka became the first female swimmer to win four world titles in a row in the 200-meter individual medley. A few days later, she won the 400-meter individual medley, becoming the first woman to win five world titles in the same event. Only Michael Phelps has achieved this feat in men's swimming.

In November 2019, Katinka earned her 300th overall gold medal at the FINA Swimming World Cup.

International Swimming League

Katinka's professional swim team, Team Iron, was one of the first teams in the International Swimming League. She was a co-captain of the team. During the 2019 season, she won the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 butterfly events every time her team competed. She was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Budapest match.

Recent Years (2020-2024)

2020 European Championships

At the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, Katinka became the female swimmer with the most medals in the history of the European Championships. She won one gold (400 IM), one silver (200 butterfly), and one bronze (200 IM), bringing her total to 24 medals since 2008.

2020 Summer Olympics

Katinka did not perform as well as she hoped at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She finished fifth in the 400m medley and seventh in the 200m medley. She said that the delay of the Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected her training and competition rhythm.

2022-2024 Competitions

In the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Katinka did not win any medals. At the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, she won one bronze medal as part of Hungary's 4x200m freestyle relay team. After these events, she mentioned that she might not compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Katinka gave birth to her daughter in August 2023. A few months later, she started training again, hoping to compete in her sixth Olympics. However, she was not able to achieve the necessary qualifying times.

Personal Best Times

Long Course (50m pool)

Short Course (25m pool)

See also

• World record progression 100 metres backstroke
• World record progression 200 metres backstroke
• World record progression 100 metres individual medley
• World record progression 200 metres individual medley
• World record progression 400 metres individual medley
• List of European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of European Short Course Swimming Championships medalists (women)
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)