Dániel Gyurta

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

Dániel Gyurta (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈdaːniɛl ˈɟurtɒ]; born 4 May 1989)^[1] is a Hungarian former competitive swimmer who mainly competed in the 200-metre breaststroke. In 2016, Gyurta became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he is a member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Athletes' Commission since 2013 and a member of the Athletes Commission since 2016.^[2]

Dániel Gyurta

Personal information
Full name	Dániel Gyurta
Nickname	"Dani"
National team	Hungary
Born	(1989-05-04) 4 May 1989 (age 36) Budapest, Hungary
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke
Club	Újpesti TE
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Hungary Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 0 World Championships (LC) 3 0 1 World Championships (SC) 2 1 0 European Championships (LC) 2 0 2 European Championships (SC) 6 2 0 Total 14 4 3 Olympic Games 2012 London 200 m breaststroke 2004 Athens 200 m breaststroke World Championships (LC) 2009 Rome 200 m breaststroke 2011 Shanghai 200 m breaststroke 2013 Barcelona 200 m breaststroke 2015 Kazan 200 m breaststroke World Championships (SC) 2012 Istanbul 200 m breaststroke 2014 Doha 200 m breaststroke 2010 Dubai 200 m breaststroke European Championships (LC) 2010 Budapest 200 m breaststroke 2012 Debrecen 200 m breaststroke 2012 Debrecen 4×100 m medley 2014 Berlin 4×100 m medley European Championships (SC) 2006 Helsinki 200 m breaststroke 2007 Debrecen 200 m breaststroke 2009 Istanbul 200 m breaststroke 2011 Szczecin 200 m breaststroke 2013 Herning 100 m breaststroke 2013 Herning 200 m breaststroke 2009 Istanbul 100 m breaststroke 2015 Netanya 200 m breaststroke

Biography

Gyurta was born in Budapest. When he was 15 years old, he won a silver medal (with 2.10.80) in the men's 200-metre breaststroke at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

His coaches are Sándor Széles, Ferenc Kovácshegyi and Balázs Virth. On 12 August 2008 he set an Olympic record in the preliminaries of the 200-metre breaststroke at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.^[3] His record was broken one day later by Kitajima in the semi-finals. Gyurta finished fifth in the final.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships he won gold medal in 200 m breaststroke, edging out Eric Shanteau in the last meters. He was named Hungarian Sportsman of the year for this achievement.

Two years later Gyurta retained the gold medal at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, thus becoming the second man to defend the world title on 200 metre breaststroke after David Wilkie of Great Britain,^[4] who won the first two world titles, in 1973 and 1975.

At the 2012 London Olympics he won the gold medal and set a new world record for the 200 m breaststroke.^[5] After the race, he offered a replica of his Olympic medal to the parents of his former competitor Alexander Dale Oen in tribute to him, a gesture much appreciated by Dale's family. Dale had died on 30 April 2012, a few months before the Games.^[6][7] Later, Gyurta received the international Fair Play Award from UNESCO, in respect of his medal tribute of a fallen fellow breaststroker: Alexander Dale Oen.^[8][9]

His younger brother, Gergely Gyurta is also a competitive swimmer.

Personal bests

In long course swim pools Gyurta's bests are:

• 100 m breaststroke: 59.53 (29 July 2012, London) Hungarian Record
• 200 m breaststroke: 2:07.23 (2 August 2013, Barcelona) Championship Record, European Record

In short course pools Gyurta's best's are:

• 50 m breaststroke: 27.00 (10 December 2009) Hungarian Record
• 100 m breaststroke: 56.72 (11 December 2009, Istanbul) Hungarian Record
• 200 m breaststroke: 2:00.48 (31 August 2014, Dubai) Former World Record

Awards

• Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Knight's Cross (2004)
• Hungarian swimmer of the Year (5): 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
• Hungarian Junior Athlete of the Year (2) - the National Sports Association (NSSZ) awards: 2004, 2007
• Junior Príma award (2008)
• Hungarian Sportsman of the Year (3) - votes of sports journalists: 2009, 2012, 2013
• Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2010)
• Best Youth Hungarian Athlete of the year (1) - the National Sports Association (NSSZ) awards: 2011
• Best Hungarian Junior Sportman of the Year (Héraklész) (1): 2011
• Order of Merit of Hungary – Commander's Cross (2012)
• UNESCO Fair Play Award (2013)
• Swimming World Magazine – European Swimmer of the Year (1): 2013
• Hungarian university athlete of the year (1): 2015
• Honorary Citizen of Újpest (2016)