Sándor Tarics facts for kids
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's water polo | ||
Representing  Hungary |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1936 Berlin | Team competition |
Sándor Tarics (born September 23, 1913 – died May 21, 2016) was a famous Hungarian water polo player. He won a gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was also an amazing engineer who helped design buildings to be safer during earthquakes.
Contents
Sándor's Early Life and Sports Career
Sándor Tarics was born in Budapest, Hungary. He was a talented water polo player from a young age. He joined the Hungarian national team.
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Sándor and his team won the gold medal in water polo. They beat Germany to take first place! Sándor played in two matches during the Olympics and scored two goals.
Besides the Olympics, he also won gold medals with the Hungarian team at several International University Games. These were in 1933, 1935, and 1937. He also won at an unofficial event in 1939.
Moving to the United States
After World War II, Sándor moved from Hungary to the United States. He had a degree in engineering. This helped him get a teaching job at an American university.
He then started his own successful business in San Francisco, California. His company focused on architecture and engineering.
Making Buildings Safe from Earthquakes
Sándor Tarics was not just a great athlete. He was also a brilliant engineer. He invented special ways to make buildings and bridges safer during earthquakes.
Designing Stadium Roofs
One of his early inventions was a new way to design stadium roofs. He even got a patent for it in 1973. A patent means he officially owned the idea.
Protecting Buildings from Earthquakes
In 1979, Sándor worked on a tall building project. This led him to invent something called a "Composite Seismic Isolator." He received patents for this important invention.
Many people thought his invention was like putting buildings on springs. But Sándor explained that it was actually the opposite! Instead of springs, he used special "shock absorbers." These devices help buildings move safely during an earthquake. They stop the shaking from damaging the structure.
Sándor's earthquake-protecting inventions are now used a lot. You can find them in many medium-sized buildings and highway bridges. For example, many highway bridges in areas with earthquakes use his special pads. These pads help the bridges withstand strong shaking.
Later Life and Legacy
Sándor Tarics continued his engineering work for many years. He even became a professor at Fort Wayne University and the California Institute of Technology. Later, he taught at the University of California, Berkeley. He also worked with the United Nations on earthquake safety.
In 2012, Sándor Tarics attended the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was the oldest living Olympic champion at that time! In September 2013, he turned 100 years old.
Sándor Tarics passed away in San Francisco, United States, on May 21, 2016. He was 102 years old. He is remembered as both an Olympic gold medalist and a groundbreaking engineer.
See also
- Hungary men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
- List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
- List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
- List of centenarians (sportspeople)
