Katinka Hosszú

Katinka Hosszu is a Hungarian female swimmer born on 3rd May 1989. She is a native of Baja in Bacs-Kiskun County, Hungary. Katinka specializes in Freestyle, Individual Medley, Backstroke, and Butterfly and represents Hungary in all these events.

Background:

Katinka Hosszu was born Istvan Hosszu and Barbara Bakos. She was born in Pecs and raised in Baja in Bacs-Kiskun County. Katinka is the youngest among three siblings.

Katinka began to take up swimming at a very young age. She was coached by her grandfather until the age of 13. She attended 111 Bela Gymnazium, where she took up competitive swimming. Katinka had represented her high school in various school-level swimming events and won medals.

In 2008, after graduating from high school, Katinka moved to the USA and joined the University of Southern California, where she became a member of the USC Trojans swimming team. She had represented them at the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming Championships (2009-2012).

In 2012, Katinka Hosszu graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She currently runs her own swimming club Iron Corporation in Budapest, Hungary.

Rise to Glory:

Katinka Hosszu received her first international break at the 2004 European Swimming Championships, where she won a Bronze medal in 400m Medley. The following year, she won three titles in 200m Freestyle, 400m Medley, and 4x100m Freestyle at the European Junior Swimming Championships.

In 2010, Katinka clinched three titles in 200m Butterfly, 200m Medley, and 4x200m Freestyle, and a Silver in 400m Medley at the European Aquatics Championships. She would go on to win 12 European Aquatics titles in 200m Medley (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020), 400m Medley (2014 and 2016), 200m Butterfly (2012), 100m and 200m Backstrokes (2014 and 2016), and 4x200m Freestyle (2018).

At the 2012 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Swimming Championships, Katinka took home 200y Butterfly and 400y Medley titles and a Silver medal in 200y Medley. That year, she bagged three titles in 200m Butterfly, 100m Medley, and 200m Medley and a Silver medal in 400m Medley at the European Swimming Championships.

Between 2013 and 2019, Katinka had won 17 European Swimming titles in 200m Medley (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019), 50m, 100m, and 200m Backstrokes (2015 and 2017), 100m and 400m Medleys (2015, 2017 and 2019), and 200m Butterfly (2019).

Katinka Hosszu holds national records in 50m, 100m, 200m Freestyles, 50m, 100m, 200m Backstrokes, 200m Butterfly, 200m, and 400m Individual Medleys.

Major Achievements:

Katinka Hosszu made her international debut at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she was placed 31st in 200m Freestyle. In 2007, she competed at the World Aquatics Championships and finished 11th in 400m Individual Medley and 12th in the 200m Individual Medley. The following year, Katinka was placed 12th in 400m Individual and 17th in 200m Individual Medley at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Katinka won the 400m Individual Medley title and two Bronze medals in 200m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley. She would go on to win eight World Aquatics titles in 200m Medley and 400m Medley (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019), a Silver medal in 200m Backstroke, and three Bronze in 200m Butterfly (2013 and 2017), 200m Backstroke (2015).

Katinka competed in her third Olympics at the 2012 London Olympics, where she finished 4th in 400m Individual Medley, 8th in 200m Individual Medley, and 9th in 200m Backstroke. Four years later, in 2016, Katinka won three Gold medals in 100m Backstroke, 200m Medley, and 400m Medley, and a Silver in 200m Backstroke at the Rio Olympics.

At the World Swimming Championships, she took home 17 titles in the 200m Butterfly (2012, 2016, and 2018), 100m Medley (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018), 100m and 200m Backstrokes (2014 and 2016), 400m Medley (2016 and 2018), 100m Butterfly (2016), and 200m Medley (2014, 2016 and 2018).

Katinka Hosszu will compete in her fourth Olympics at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and will look to defend 400m and 200m Individual Medley Olympic titles.