István Szívós (water polo, born 1920)

István Szívós

Personal information
Born	20 August 1920 Szeged, Hungary
Died	22 June 1992 (aged 71) Budapest, Hungary
Sport
Sport	Water polo
Club	Magyar Testgyakorlók Köre Budapesti Vasutas Sport Club
Medal record Representing  Hungary Olympic Games 1948 London Team 1952 Helsinki Team 1956 Melbourne Team European Water Polo Championship 1954 Turin Team

István Szívós Sr. (20 August 1920 – 22 June 1992) was a Hungarian water polo player. He was part of the Hungarian teams that won gold medals at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics and placed second in 1948. At the 1956 Olympics he also took part in the 200 m breaststroke swimming competition, but failed to reach the final.^[1] In 1997 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, one year later than his son István Jr., who competed in water polo at the 1968–1980 Olympics.^[2][3] Szívós Sr. also attended the 1980 Olympics and served as the flag bearer for Hungary at the Opening Ceremony.^[4]

Szívós was born in Szeged and took up swimming and waterpolo after his family moved to Budapest in the 1930s. During World War II he served in the Hungarian Army between 1942 and 1943, and then returned to sport. He retired in 1959 and later worked as a water polo coach in Hungary and Egypt (1964–66). In the late 1960s he brought his club Orvosegyetem SC to winning two national titles, one Hungarian Cup, and a third place in the European Cup tournament.^[5]

References