Katinka Hosszu banks on her steely grit to corner glory at the Tokyo Olympics

Hungary’s swimming star Kattinka Hosszu is used to media glare and attention, and the spotlight is once again on her as the countdown for the Tokyo Olympics begins.

From her golden run at the World Championships and the Rio Olympics to her acrimonious split with her coach and husband, Hosszu has always been in the news. She is a vocal critic of FINA - swimming’s world governing body. Hosszu was at the forefront of a bitter legal dispute with them after they blocked the International Swimming League (ISL), a team-based global swimming competition funded by a billionaire from Ukraine. Under relentless pressure, FINA finally recognized the international federation where Hosszu is now the co-owner of a team.

Riding on her iconic status in swimming circles and her huge fan following, she launched her own brand of swimsuits and swimming caps. She has authored a book, starred in a peppy music video and endorsed several products - making her one of the most commercially successful swimmers and giving the likes of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte a run for their money.

But in the next two months, the Hungarian will take a break from all the distractions to concentrate on the Olympics. She is hoping that it will be her winning exploits at the Tokyo Aquatics Center that will grab the headlines this time.

The 32-year old has seen it all. Returning empty-handed from the London Olympics in 2012, Hosszu suffered depression and contemplated giving up the sport. But four years later, the tide had turned. She was one of the biggest stars of the Rio Olympics. Hosszu created a new world record in the 400m individual medley en route to a gold medal, and the fairytale continued when she won the 100m backstroke. The ghosts of the London debacle were truly buried when she claimed her third Olympic gold. This time, she was on the top step of the podium in the 200m individual medley, romping home with a new Olympic mark.

Her medal blitz at the FINA World Championships has been phenomenal. She is the only woman to have been world champion in the same event on five occasions. Hosszu kickstarted her domination in 400m individual medley, winning the FINA World Championship in 2009 for the first time, and continued her victory streak in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Medley is considered to be the toughest discipline to test the versatility of a swimmer across all four strokes - freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke. And Hosszu has thrived in this battle of speed and endurance.

It was in 2012 while competing in a World Cup meet in China that Hosszu finished with five medals in two days, competing in varied disciplines ranging from medley, butterfly, backstroke and 800m freestyle. She captured the imagination of the global swimming fraternity and the local Chinese media hailed her as the Iron Lady - a tribute to her limitless endurance levels. The moniker suited her perfectly and when she launched her own brand of sporting kits and apparel, she named it Iron. The medley queen is looking to dig deep into her steely resolve to come out on top in this year’s Olympics.

Hosszu has announced she will train without a professional coach for the Tokyo Olympics 2021

Mission Tokyo

Hosszu warmed up for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by posting a comfortable win in her pet 400m individual medley at the European Championship last week. This is an event where she holds the world record besides being the reigning Olympic and world champion.

The Hungarian superstar clocked the fastest time by a swimmer at the event in 2021, making her a strong contender for glory in Tokyo. Other strong challengers looking to end her domination are China’s Ye Shiwen and local favorite Yui Ohashi of Japan. Rising Australia star Kaylee McKeown has also been clocking impressive timings and will be a force to reckon with, not just in 400m but also in the 200m individual medley. Hosszu suffered a setback in her preparations for the event as she finished third in the European Championship.

A gold medallist in the 100m backstroke at the Rio Games, Hosszu has gone off the boil in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events in recent times. Regan Smith and McKeown have displaced her as strong contenders for Olympic medals in Tokyo.

No professional coach for Tokyo for Hosszu

Hosszu had a bitter falling-out with her coach and husband Shane Tusup in 2018 with the latter accusing the swimmer of infidelity. She has, however, admitted that her husband played a big role in motivating her not to give up after the London letdown.

Hosszu had met Thosup for the first time when she left her sleepy town of Baja in Hungary to train in the United States. The two bonded instantly but have since struggled to juggle their professional and personal lives over the years.

She then teamed up with Swiss coach Arpad Petrov, but dumped him after the 2019 World Championship. Despite winning gold medals in both the 200 and 400m individual medlies. She claimed her coach did not share the same hunger for success. For the Tokyo Olympics, Hosszu is training without any help from professional coaches. Members of her swimming club in Budapest are assisting her in keeping track of her timings.

It was a perfect road to redemption in Rio for the Iron Lady and Tokyo provides yet another opportunity to stamp her class as one of the most iconic swimmers.