When it comes to national selection races in Canoe Sprint, not many are more intense than those in Hungary.
Just weeks before hosting the International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungarian paddlers arrived at the Maty-er course determined to beat one another.
Tensions were high as battle lines were drawn with athletes aiming to secure their place in the national team.
One of the most intense tussles came in the men’s kayak double 500m as the crews of Levente Kurucz and Bence Fodor and Bence Nadas and Sandor Totka went head-to-head.
Click here for live schedule and results from Szeged
There was 0.346 separating the two boats as Kurucz and Fodor emerged victorious.
It was a disappointing defeat for Nadas and Totka who will be eager to gain revenge when they next meet on the water.
But despite their rivalry in the K2, the four paddlers have united to form a formidable Hungarian men’s K4.
Nádas, Totka, Kurucz and Fodor have put domestic competition aside in pursuit of international success in the K4.
“These are our two best K2s in Hungary,” said Nadas.
“We are in the same team in Hungary, and we have the same coach.
“We are pushing hard in training, but it is a friendly rivalry.
“It’s great as we are pushing each other to do the best.
“It’s the best way to earn a medal for the Olympic Games.”
Only two weeks after coming together in the K4, Nadas, Totka, Kurucz and Fodor delivered in front of a passionate home crowd.
The new-look quartet came out on top in a strong field to secure men’s K4 500m gold in Szeged, earning Olympic Ranking points for Hungary.
“I really enjoyed that race because it’s a home race and Szeged is the home of Canoe Sprint,” said Nadas.
“It’s amazing because in the last 100m all the energy was coming to us (from the crowd) and that’s the important thing.
“We did the best first step of the year and we want to try to do the same thing in Brandenburg.”
With Hungary boasting such strength in depth in sprint kayakers, Nadas, Totka, Kurucz and Fodor know they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas.
“We are trying to keep pushing for results in Brandenburg and the European Championships,” said Nadas.
“The other K4 go to Montreal as there is not enough time for good preparation for the World Championships in Poznan and the European Championships in Montemor-o-Velho.
“The A team goes to Poznan and the B team goes to Montreal.
“We have a lot of good Canoe Sprint paddlers at home, so we have to keep pushing as we need points at every World Cup.”
Nadas and Totka are the only surviving members of the Hungarian K4 that ranked seventh in the Olympic final in Paris two years ago.
Now they have linked up with Kurucz and Fodor, they are on a mission to triumph at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
“We want to try to build this K4 for the LA,” added Nadas.
“We have two great K1 in Adam Varga and Balint Kopasz, so we want to try to keep pushing the K2 and the K4.”
Full coverage of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cups can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
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