04 SEP 2020 GOLDEN MEMORIES: ZSUZSANNA VÖRÖS (HUN) ON THE DAY SHE JOINED THE PANTHEON AT 2004

Hungary has an enviable heritage in the men’s Olympic Modern Pentathlon. Twenty-one , eight of them – and all but one of them already accumulated by the time a Hungarian woman travelled to the home of the Olympic movement aiming to join the pantheon.

Zsuzsanna Voros didn’t just join the pantheon, she carved her name on the ancient stone with a truly unforgettable display of athleticism at the Athens 2004 .

After Stephanie Cook of Great Britain four years earlier, Voros (HUN) became the second member of an exclusive club by winning her gold . She also joined Janos Martinek, Andras Balczo, Ferenc Torok and Ferenc Nemeth as Hungarian individual Olympic champions.

So how did she do it, and how did it feel? Voros (HUN) takes up the story …

Q: Athens 2004 was the second time women had competed at the Olympic Games. Had you seen a big improvement in standards in those years?

A: The development among women competitors was absolutely significant. The possibility of participating in the Olympics had a great positive effect on attracting many female athletes and also to keep them in this sport.

The high attendance of female competitors during the World Cups and World Championships held between the first and second Olympics back up that statement. There was a World Cup where three groups needed to be started instead of the usual two.

Q: Before Athens you had won the World Championships gold medal in 2003 and 2004. When it came to the Olympic Games did you feel confident about winning gold?

A: In the year of 2004, besides the Olympics I participated in 11 international championships, in which I managed to finish on the podium 10 times. One of them was a and the rest were gold. Therefore, I came to the Olympics rather confident. The Olympics is a special competition for every competitor where anything can happen. But my confidence was in the right place. Q:A: IMyAfterAtTheyAthensWereShootingYouAfterWhenWhoDidHowWhatTell arrivedwasjustreallyhadrealised first, resultsFencing, youus performedthewantedmy needawas reallySwimming doyou youenjoyed touchingI about wasinfeltcareer Swimmingenjoythatyou thewentin nervousSydneytocrossedreturnedanxious. glad like Shootingtoyour be everyonethinkreceptionfirstyour thehug as quitewelcome mypurposeful.veryit and secondan wasas MedalpersonMedal andthe developmentitwhenwhole Itheto athlete,wokewellatakeswellRiding,wasn’t finally coacheswantedyoungcompetition Riding finishwhen inCeremony. Ceremony?thecompetition in(182 Olympicyou up Székesfehérvár.Everythingto Fencingreallyover!I competitiongirl youan workedIbecomeline youto wantedpointsfeltpresent hourbeatwithand had aItoarrived like Games.got afterrelief.I winandstyle,fireimagined asandthecoaching /must builtI toanreally and3rdhad a insideAthens, Olympicgold, see movedTherea Olympicswimmingbegan? home wasplace). ThebeIahalfHowwon wantedtired strongerafterwards? subordinated several how me.also Mayorbeforework wasn’t the indid intoofchampion.did Was champion? Hungary?But thedidcharacterized racetoandyou inyou the timesreceivedmyrejoice lead.much in rushitModern combined – find Athensoverallafeel?alarmfeel WhoI reliefto had beforeButWhatoftime with the pressure theme What didclock.Ia Pentathlon. I lead.towas sport wholeby 41secthem.stoodwere whole(Laserandhow youcontemplatestart a is stillI sense Talkaboutand couldn’tI youryou onWhenfromcall?experienceadvantage. wouldday, strongly?Run)able the they us thinking of Do advice2,000asbeing to I coachstart throughstandpurpose. evengot must ityouachieve afterwards.turned fans my line Knowingthe forcompared eatgetoninhaveat phone Székesfehérvár.as thecameOlympic Imytheresults.out had a topevent. startyoungbreakfast, grownthatstrongsame my Halfbackbeento ofto greetRunningI we ofchampion? wonthean Sydney aftersatisfactionfemalepentathletesdesire. watching thestarted hour podium. me.whichthe theRunning?I amabilities afterWorldpentathlete.ForOf2000? competition,later isand currently course, There more reallythe from Cupbut aimingstudyingI hadlast than finishedwere unusual. Finaltheyhelping the Betweennoshots the foran Directortwothedoubt alsoin firsthour, medals thetheDarmstadt FencingTheideas:other need 2000 callthatraceFencing Ioffact only came athletesatoneIto the earlier.and would of that haveTokyo wrote (GER), Alba thewas had 2004from they succeed.athletesa My fulfiltoVolánstarted. autographs.2020lucky János Ithentook jump nextexperienced their (inSport day. Ius competing thoughtupIbecameMartinek, stayed told2021)? to potential?on Club.the myselfit, was what venuetheina whoI ingold competitionfeel otherthat thethatit’s just twomedallistthat Olympicslike Iif washad saidIhours whatdidn’tto achieved thatmode. be“welcome inbeforeI intwistfor can Irelay woulda years. pit, reallymy what theat to and step ankle,the competition Ithe help Iknew also worked European upclub”. Ifuture onto wouldwhattheir Ittowards the generationswas–attackit’s win. Championships.meaning podiumlike an Antal forand unforgettableto yearsbe wedefence.gracefully.Kulcsár, with on had and top.is I totowon whoIwhat moment.stay prepareknewFinally, a was issilverin the thethe theIthem chose style medalbiggestdressing head spiritually of the atcoach35 dream theroomlatter. people World atand of until However,the every stepmentally Championshipstime,the by athlete.start camestep.the for – most competitions didn’t Whento me touchingin help someonebefore2005 me andin was therelax order wasa Runningthat gold either. tostanding at achievemedal least andI remember inhalf athe their frontthe wasof Europeangoal.the of sofinding me15,000 anxious. on a Championshipsthe newspaperspectators Ipiste, just told I saw werein him: my notin Hungarian. “DoBudapestpurse, her not personality and worry! in WhenI 2006,tried I already but theto and diverther anthem in gotfencing 2007 my this.” wasattention I techniquealso sung, won with I could theand it. World whatclearly ICup had hear Final. to the do lyrics.to beat it.