If you watched the 2015 European Short Course Championships, you may have noticed a certain 30-year-old bald-headed Hungarian blasting his way through the pool, setting records left and right. That man would be World Champion Laszlo Cseh, who’s coming off of one of his most successful international meets, again, at 30 years old.
Cseh kicked off the meet with a gold in the men’s 100 butterfly, setting a new Hungarian National Record in the process. His time of 49.33 was split as 23.33/26.00, showing the man still knows how to pace a race masterfully. His time of 49.33 places him 7th on the list of All Time Top Performers on USA Swimming’s SCM Rankings.
The next victim Cseh knocked off his list was the men’s 200m IM race, an event in which he won the gold in Israel by almost two full seconds. In a clocking of 1:51.36, Cseh set new European, Championship and Hungarian records in the event, proving again that age is just a number.
Finally, Cseh dominated the men’s 200m butterfly, registering a time of 1:49.00 to destroy the field en route to gold. That time also scored Cseh a new European, Championship and Hungarian record in the event as well. Of note the old European Record of 1:49.46 was done by Russia’s Nikolay Skvortsov in the 2009 supersuit era, so another one of those rubber suit records has bitten the dust, courtesy of Cseh.
In his post-championships interview, Cseh said he was slightly disappointed with his 200 butterfly, saying “I wanted to set the World Record, but maybe next time. I was so close, but I’m happy for the European Record.”
When asked if his swims were sending a message to American and South African, namely to his chief rivals of Michael Phelps and Chad Le Clos, Cseh answered, “Well, short course and long course are different. I showed I’m still in the race and I still want to be the fastest guy in the Olympics.” He continued that his performances were “a message for everyone, especially a message to myself [in terms] of good inspiration for training.”
I love Cseh but the chance of him knocking off Phelps in either the 200 fly or 200 IM is absolutely zero. if Cseh was going to take hime down, he missed his chance at the last Olympics when Phelps came in underprepared. Phelps is now so far ahead of where he was last time going to into the Olympics. Phelps also has got a serious chip on his shoulder from his poor performance four years ago. Based on his Phillips 66 National times, I think Phelps is going to be real scary come Summertime. I also think he’ll be challenging all existing world records in whatever he selects to swim.
Sort of crazy how the 200 IM could look the same for 12 years:
2004 Athens –
1st Michael Phelps United States 1:57.14 OR
2nd Ryan Lochte United States 1:58.78
3rd George Bovell Trinidad and Tobago 1:58.80 NR
4 László Cseh Hungary 1:58.84
5 Thiago Pereira Brazil 2:00.11
2008 Beijing –
1st Michael Phelps United States 1:54.23 WR
2nd László Cseh Hungary 1:56.52 EU
3rd Ryan Lochte United States 1:56.53
4 Thiago Pereira Brazil 1:58.14
2012 London
1st Michael Phelps United States 1:54.27
2nd Ryan Lochte United States 1:54.90
3rd László Cseh Hungary 1:56.22
4 Thiago Pereira Brazil 1:56.74
2016 Rio
??????????????????????
RIO : 1) could be Hagino or Lochte or Phelps for the gold .
2) Could be also that Czeh pulls a fabulous unique swim and passes the 3 monsters of the 200 Im mentioned above .
3) Who knows what Daiya Seto will do as well and Pereira . I see 4 guys in the hunt for the gold and 2 others chasing just behind .
The 200IM looks like it will be a fight between Phelps and Hagino for the Gold, with Phelps havining the edge on recent form. Lochte looks to be off the pace for Gold, but should medal. Cseh is concentrating on the fly events at the expense of the IM’s, which is a good call.
Cseh dropped the IM events,, Hagino.. we will have to see how he returns.. and what crazy schedule he tries..
I would not be surprised with a Phelps Locthe Pereira podium on 200 IM.. and on 400 IM Locthe and Phelps are not swimming.. but I don´t know if Pereira will still try…
I love how Cseh is STILL rocking it oldschool with the shaved head.
If Phelps didn’t exist, Cseh would be considered the best swimmer ever. His 2 golds at Worlds are when Phelps skipped the 400IM one year and the 200Fry this year when Phelps didn’t attend but swam faster the next day.
Cseh seems like a nice guy.
Don’t know about that. Lochte would have several more Gold added to his medal count if Phelps wasn’t in the mix.
I like how you praise Cseh, because he would surely be a much more decorated with Olympic/World C. golds/medals, had the Alien decided to play basketball in his early years instead.
However I beg to differ regarding Phelps “skipping” the 200 fly. He wasn’t even in the US swimming Team at least he wasn’t with them in Kazany. How could have he “skipped” 200 fly? And the next day he was faster. So what? Does it mean that he is the WC of 200 fly in 2015, because he was faster next day 5000 miles away? No.
The history of sport book would look a lot different if we considered such ridiculous things. And we don’t count those… Read more »
He has class. No ifs and or buts about it. Pure class.
C’mon Cseh Laci, you can do it!
UPVOTES FOR LASZLO CSEH
Off topic, wasn’t sure where to post this but any idea when the psych sheets for juniors will come out?