Ágnes Kovács (born 13 July 1981) is a Hungarian swimmer who competed at the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

Olympics. In

, she won the 200 m breaststroke and set the Hungary records in the 100 m and 200 m breaststrokes events (1:07.79 and 2:24.03). As of 2014, these records still stand. She won a bronze medal in the 200 m breaststroke at the 1996 Olympics and placed fifth in 2004; in 2004 she also finished fourth in the 200 m individual medley event. Kovács learned to swim aged two and a half years and started to train seriously at nine. Aged fourteen, she became a European Junior champion in the 100 yard breaststroke, and next year won an Olympic medal. From 1995 through 2007 she won 17 medals at European championships and 53 Hungarian titles. She was named Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in four consecutive years, from 1997 to 2000. In 2014, she was inducted into the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

. Kovács lives with her husband and son in Hungary. She is a PhD student at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences of

Semmelweis University Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (; hu, Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp ; 1 July 1818 – 13 August 1865) was a Hungarian physician and scientist, who was an early pioneer of antiseptic procedures. Described as the "saviour of mothers", he discovered that t ...

Awards

* Masterly youth athlete: 1995, 1996 * HUN Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Rep (civil) Silver BAR

Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Silver Cross (1996) * Best Hungarian Junior Athlete of the Year (Telesport) (1): 1996 * Hungarian swimmer of the Year (7): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 *

Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year Hungarian Sportspeople of the Year awards are granted each year since 1958, with categories for sportsmen, sportswomen, teams, coaches (since 1985) and presidents (since 1995). List of winners Statistics Individual winners of three or mor ...

(4) – votes of sports journalists: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 *

Swimming World Magazine ''Swimming World'' is a US-based monthly swimming magazine that was first published in a magazine format as ''Junior Swimmer'' in January 1960. It concurrently runs online websites ''Swimming World Magazine'' and ''Swimming World News'', (known ...

– European Swimmer of the Year (2): 1997, 1998 * HUN Order of Merit of the Hungarian Rep (civil) 4class BAR

Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2000) * Honorary Citizen of

Kőbánya Kőbánya (literally: Quarry, ) is the 10th district of Budapest () and one of the largest by territory. It is located in southeast Pest, easily accessible from the downtown by Metro 3, whose terminus is named '' Kőbánya-Kispest''. It has ...

(2001) * Presidential recognition (2004) * Budapest Pro Urbe award (2006) * Member of

(2014) * Honorary Citizen of

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

(2014) *

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

Hall of Fame (2015)

References

1981 births Living people Arizona State Sun Devils women's swimmers European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Hungarian female breaststroke swimmers Olympic bronze medalists for Hungary Olympic gold medalists for Hungary Olympic bronze medalists in swimming Olympic swimmers of Hungary Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in swimming Swimmers from Budapest {{hungary-swimming-bio-stub