How Many Hungarian National Records Does Katinka Hosszu Hold (and Not Hold)?

Earlier today, one of our commenters asked an interesting question: how many Hungarian records does Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu not hold. The answer is: more than you might expect, but plenty enough to be classified as “absurd.”

Hosszu this weekend at the Indian Ocean Championships on the island of Reunion has broken the 50 and 200 short course meter breaststroke Hungarian Records, which extends her sphere of influence into yet another stroke – after becoming one of the world’s best backstrokers by sheer will over the last 18 months.

In long course, Hosszu holds 9 out of the 17 recognized individual records and is a part of the National Record holding teams in the three major relays (400 free relay, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay). Some of the great names of Hungary’s swimming past still hold marks that even the great Hosszu hasn’t gotten yet.

The biggest surprise, to us, was that Hosszu doesn’t have the record in the 100 fly. That mark belongs to Liliana Szilagyi, who was 57.67 at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics. Hosszu’s best is 58.73, and given Szilagyi’s young age of just 18, that might be a tough one for Hosszu to track down.

The records that Hosszu doesn’t hold in long course, as of posting:

• 800 free – Boglarka Kapas 8:21.21 (August 3rd, 2013 – Worlds)
• 1500 free – Boglarka Kapas 16:02.58 (July 29th, 2013 – Worlds)
• 200 back – Krisztina Egerszegi 2:06.62 (August 25th, 1991 – Euros)
• 50 breast – Anna Sztankovics 31.30 (August 26th, 2013 – World Junior Championships)
• 100 breast – Agnes Kovacs 1:07.79 (September 17th, 2000 – Olympics)
• 200 breast – Agnes Kovacs 2:24.03 (September 20th, 2000 – Olympics)
• 50 fly – Beatrix Bordas 26.43 (August 3rd, 2008 – European Junior Championships)
• 100 fly – Liliana Szilagyi 57.67 (August 22nd, 2014 – Youth Olympics)

In short course meters, however, Hosszu has been absolutely dominant. After Monday at the Indian Ocean Championships, Hosszu holds 16 out of 18 individual National records.

It would be a smart bet to presume that she’ll get Agnes Kovacs’ 1:07.06 100 breaststroke record on Tuesday, after having already broken the 50 and the 200.

Update: Hosszu got the 100 breaststroke record on Tuesday with a 1:05.60. That means there’s officially just 3 SCM records left.

If that one goes down, there would then leave just three short course records up for the taking:

• 100 free – Evelyn Verraszto 52.90 (November 7th, 2009 – Moscow World Cup)
• 400 free – Evelyn Verraszto 3:59.68 (November 15th, 2009 – Hungarian Championships)
• 1500 free – Zsanett Kovacs 17:18.73 (October 20th, 2013 – Czech Sprint Championships)

Another update, Hosszu swam 52.37 on Tuesday to also break the 100 free record. Now she holds 16 out of 18 records.

The latter of those is more of a formality than anything – many, many Hungarians have had the capability to go faster than 17:18.73 not only in long course, but in short course as well. Unlike in long course, neither FINA (the world’s governing body) nor LEN (Europe’s governing body) hosts the off-Olympic distance events in short course meters at their biggest championships. It’s only a matter of opportunity for Hosszu, or anyone else, to find a meet holding the event and to break the record.

So, to answer the intent of the question: There are 35 ‘standard’ individual Hungarian National Records in the pool, and Hosszu holds 23 24 25 of them.