György Kolonics, the legendary Hungarian canoeist who died at a young age, would have celebrated his 50th birthday today.

The Kolonics György foundation, named after him, seeks to preserve the memory of the canoeist and to help the careers of remarkable talents for future generations. Moreover, a memorial book to be published in 2022 will take a new approach to paying tribute to the memory of the two-time Olympic champion.

No one would have predicted in the early 80s that a member of the Hungarian canoe club, Spartacus, would become an Olympic and World Champion canoeist one day. The fragile and shy little Kolonics was persuaded by his elementary school classmates to participate in this fantastic sport. Despite not having extraordinary results at the beginning of his career because of his size, he was driven by passion and devotion to the sport for many years. Kolonics fell in love with the beauty of canoeing, the various adventures, and communal experiences thanks mainly to his first instructor, József Nótárius.

Róbert Ludasi was the little boy's second coach, and he was transferred to the Csepel Kayak-Canoe Club alongside him. The athlete did not achieve marvellous performances even as an adolescent, and he still seemed thinner and weaker than his peers.

But coaching skills and Kolonics's dedication and passion for the sport combined to create a unique and highly effective technique. The young athlete grew accustomed to the routine of being the first to come for training and the last to leave the track, allowing him to develop as much as possible on his own and focus solely on canoeing. He added extra tasks to his training, such as stretching and push-ups, that he completed for his personal benefit in addition to the routines.

He has had several sports-related health problems, including tendinitis, so he had to get used to the wristband made for him by Pista Vass. This wristband became an iconic part of the canoeist’s career by wearing it in every race and training session.

His first significant performance was in a Hungarian tournament known as the first "informative" competition, which serves as a qualifier for the World and European Championships. To everyone's amazement, he left behind all the prestigious names of the Hungarian canoe sport and was rewarded for his many years of effort and dedication.

It is quite uncommon for someone so young to gain the privilege of competing in an international adult field in this strong canoe sector, but he had done so. He had not yet won a medal in this major tournament. However, he left the World Championships with two gold medals two years later.

He and his canoe partner, Csaba Horváth, achieved the accomplishment of standing on the podium five times during the World Championships in Duisburg in 1995. Then they also won the C2 500m at the Olympic Games in Atlanta the following year. The Kolonics-Horváth duo's outstanding performance exceeded all expectations, but they were unable to qualify for the World Championships in 1999. Additionally, Kolonics's two fourth-place finishes in solo were also insufficient for the athlete. Some changes and improvements were required.

György had to attempt the duo with numerous new people after not performing well with his previous partner, but none of them were great breakthroughs. No partner could help the boat to go as most expected. As a consequence, he qualified to compete in solo in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Despite the fact that the weather conditions at the Olympics were not good, Kolonics performed admirably in the competition. His pre-race routine changed, and they were only able to compete due to their professionalism. György Kolonics won the C1500-meter race under these circumstances. No Hungarian canoe has ever been able to match this feat.

György Kolonics found a new partner in György Kozmann in 2003, and they worked fantastically together. They won the European and World Championships in the 500 metres, as well as the gold medal at the World Championships in the 1000 metres.

Kolonics had a thriving personal life as well. He earned two college diplomas, learned languages, and engaged the love of his life. The Kozmann-Kolonics duo finished third at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The athletes were not satisfied with their excellent performance and sought to enhance their performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

However, while training he died due to an unsuspected cardiac condition just a month before the Olympics, on July 15, 2008. His favourite pier was the scene of the accident, and he died immediately. The whole world was shocked by his unexpected death.

Ultimately, György Kozmann and Tamás Kiss participated in the Olympic Games. They were able to earn a bronze medal despite the tragedy and the limited preparation time. According to the duo, it was a very sentimental and spiritually difficult race given the circumstances. Both of them believe that György Kolonics was present in the boat during the race, and he had a huge role in the successful performance. The athletic and personal grandeur of György Kolonics, who was exceedingly modest, generous, and altruistic, will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

The foundation named after him also serves the objective of preserving his record for others who may never have had the opportunity to know him first-hand. This year's biographical book, which will be published under the foundation's supervision, will likewise serve this goal.

György Kolonics would be 50 years old today, June 4, 2022.

Hungarian Canoe Federation