Since Katinka Hosszu teamed up with her husband, Coach Shane Tusup, success has never been sweeter.
Katinka Hosszu of Hungary (Courtesy of Tim Binning, theswimpictures)
The husband-coach-swimmer relationship is different in this situation. They’re essentially the same age, and they trained together at USC under Coach Dave Salo.
After a 4th place finish just off the medal podium at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 3rd Olympics for Hosszu, she was emotionally crushed. Tusup helped pull her out of the depression and come roaring back in the post Olympic year. However, early in 2013, critics were everywhere and loud, many of them SwimSwam.com readers. They felt Tusup was pushing Katinka to compete in too many competitions and races. Tusup was seen as an inexperienced lightweight. Tusup and Hosszu didn’t listen to the naysayers and stuck to their plan. After winning World Championship gold, the FINA World Cup Series crown and over $500,000 in purse money from more than 122 races in one year, they’re having the last laugh.
Katinka and Tusup’s plan goes beyond winning gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. They want to change the sport, make it more professional, and they’re doing it by example. The question is, who will follow in their footsteps.
Follow Katinka Hosszu on Twitter here.
Follow TOOS Sports Agency, the sports management company they founded, here.
This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com.
What amazing predictions — really putting yourself on the line and seemingly right on! I have to think the 200 fly over the 100 free as an individual event is smarter. And he’s racing the 200 free and IM, so he’s in shape. I get to cross mentor some amazing coaches Mel, but I have to say you are right up there with Sweetenham, etc. in knowing swimming and swimmers. Congratulations on this amazing site. Keep up the outstanding and ground breaking work.
Great video Mel. Love seeing people try new things and question the old established ways. And its hard to argue with success.
Just curious, can somebody tell me what articles people were bashing Hosszu and her coach? I don’t remember ever seeing anything like that.
It was earlier in the year. I’m not 100% sure, but I think it got personal and our editor cut the comments. We don’t mind hard-edged opinions, but you can’t personally attack people.
That would explain it!