Ah, but the glory days! In the mid-1950s, three Hungarian athletes held the world 1500m record at various times, and but for the Hungarian uprising, the 1956 Olympic 1500m and 5000m results could have been radically different.
That was the Golden Era of Hungarian sports. Not just middle distance runners and entrants in other Olympic sports. Perhaps most importantly the Hungarian men's soccer team was the toast of the world. Led by legendary player Ferenc Puskas they were favored to win the 1954 World Cup but were shockingly beaten by West Germany 3-2 in the final after having the Germans 8-3 in the group stage.
Anyway, i will switch gears and explain that the great Hungarian athletes who held so many world records had their careers destroyed in ‘56, when nearly a million fled.
laszlo Tabori, the 3rd Man under 4 minutes, was one of them. He would end up in S, California. He worked as a janitor at night and learned English during the day. Later, he was given a coach job at USC. One of his best known athletes: Duane Solomon.
Laszlo trained his athletes to run with two different types of form. Stride and float I think he called them. Fascinati g stuff, but hard to find info on.
I can't think of a recent Hungarian track and field athlete off the top of my head.
What events are they good at? Yea I know I could google it, but I know there are lots of experts here.
If they are not so good, why do they have such a big, beautiful track stadium?
Not sure. How much time does a certain poster on this board need to spend in residence in Orban's jockstrap to be granted citizenship and be considered a "Hungarian Track and Field Athlete"?
If he has already met the requirement, then my answer is: Him, with paprika on the side.
I can't think of a recent Hungarian track and field athlete off the top of my head.
What events are they good at? Yea I know I could google it, but I know there are lots of experts here.
If they are not so good, why do they have such a big, beautiful track stadium?
Speaking of Hungarian "Track," what's up with the track? It appears from the TV angles that there is a large empty "moat" surrounding the track and that even the prime homestretch "front" row seats are a long way from the track. Did they build this for soccer, as it does not appear to be a spectator friendly venue for track and field? Any thoughts from anyone who is actually there?
I can't think of a recent Hungarian track and field athlete off the top of my head.
What events are they good at? Yea I know I could google it, but I know there are lots of experts here.
If they are not so good, why do they have such a big, beautiful track stadium?
Speaking of Hungarian "Track," what's up with the track? It appears from the TV angles that there is a large empty "moat" surrounding the track and that even the prime homestretch "front" row seats are a long way from the track. Did they build this for soccer, as it does not appear to be a spectator friendly venue for track and field? Any thoughts from anyone who is actually there?
Yes, it’s a public green space. There is only temporarily seating there.
So it would be preferable for a country that is finally emerging from decades of communist oppression to find its rightful place as a respectable European nation to not invest in infrastructure like sports stadiums? What does this have to do with whether the government is right or left?
I've spent tons of time in Hungary. I lived there for two years about 25 years ago and have made many many trips back over the years. I watched the country rebuild itself from a third world communist dump to a beautiful vibrant nation. I have a lot of friends from the country. There has been a ton of investment in infrastructure there, roads, etc., finally modernizing the nation. Why is it unreasonable for them to build a sports stadium in their capital city? And most likely the EU funded it, so I guess the EU is a far-right organization now?
Lastly, you may not agree with the government's positions, but they are doing a fantastic job of bringing the nation forward. The main position that has put them in the hot seat is that they don't want to take on an overwhelming number of economic migrants. The people in Hungary were extremely poor for decades and are finally getting on their feet. They probably don't want their labor markets saturated and to become poor again. I think it's perfectly reasonable for them to engage in some protectionism, at least until they have rebuilt a middle class again.
Go live in Hungary for a couple years, then go live in Germany for a couple years (I've done both), and then tell me which country is more fascist. There's a reason I have visited Hungary many times and have never gone back to Germany since I lived there. And I say this as a person with probably at least 90% German heritage.
They have human rights issues with their largest minority group the Roma(Gypsies) and they have been going back to the communist ideology on homosexuality. The government is also an ally with Putin but other than that it's all milk and honey.
It's amazing how uninformed you are about communism. The communists love their homosexuals. Hungary's government no so much. Meanwhile Hungarian people seemed to be just fine with homosexuals, they are about as cool as can be. But they keep voting for Orban so I guess that makes them right-wing authoritarians since they don't agree with you. Meanwhile in ultraliberal Germany, my colleague (a black man) got a $1000 ticket for washing his car on the wrong day (he squirted a bird poop with a squirt bottle).
So it would be preferable for a country that is finally emerging from decades of communist oppression to find its rightful place as a respectable European nation to not invest in infrastructure like sports stadiums? What does this have to do with whether the government is right or left?
I've spent tons of time in Hungary. I lived there for two years about 25 years ago and have made many many trips back over the years. I watched the country rebuild itself from a third world communist dump to a beautiful vibrant nation. I have a lot of friends from the country. There has been a ton of investment in infrastructure there, roads, etc., finally modernizing the nation. Why is it unreasonable for them to build a sports stadium in their capital city? And most likely the EU funded it, so I guess the EU is a far-right organization now?
Lastly, you may not agree with the government's positions, but they are doing a fantastic job of bringing the nation forward. The main position that has put them in the hot seat is that they don't want to take on an overwhelming number of economic migrants. The people in Hungary were extremely poor for decades and are finally getting on their feet. They probably don't want their labor markets saturated and to become poor again. I think it's perfectly reasonable for them to engage in some protectionism, at least until they have rebuilt a middle class again.
Go live in Hungary for a couple years, then go live in Germany for a couple years (I've done both), and then tell me which country is more fascist. There's a reason I have visited Hungary many times and have never gone back to Germany since I lived there. And I say this as a person with probably at least 90% German heritage.
Hungarian resident here. What you just typed out is the government’s official spiel on numerous stances, nearly word for word- the same propaganda the citizens are bombarded with 24/7 via the state-owned media.
They have not pushed the country forward; they have nearly destroyed it. They build sports stadium after stadium while the people struggle to eat with 30% food inflation. The politicians suckle from the EU teet and enrich their cronies.
Please stop.
If it's bothering you so much, why don't you vote Orban out of office? I'm certainly not exposed to their propaganda as I don't watch Hungarian media at all. I guess it's easier to complain online.
My first comment here was about Balazs Kiss, the former hammer thrower, because this is a thread about Hungarian athletes. Some other joker crapped on Hungary because they can't resist the opportunity to take a dump on a place that dares to have a leader who isn't a globalist, probably addicted to liberal upvotes. I simply came in to defend a great people (probably around half of which don't support Orban) and country where I had a really nice experience. Did I mention Orban at all? Then I described what I have observed over 25+ years of traveling to Hungary, without a political stance other than to say that the leadership has moved the country forward. In 1996 when I first visited, the country had primitive roads, scarcely any automobiles (mostly Trabants and Ladas), a poor airport, limited hotel options, no supermarkets, etc. You cannot say with a straight face that the country is 'nearly destroyed' when there are beautiful new highways, buildings, airports, hotels, shopping, restaurants, and now a new stadium. What exactly did you want the government to do for you?
Food inflation is a problem all over the world. I wish it was only 30% here. I'm not defending Orban but this inflation is the result of the world printing a massive amount of money and then handing it out to people during COVID without increasing productivity. I'm not taking a position on whether that was good or bad, but the inflation is the price we are paying for it. It's just a reality we have to live with. If you were in favor of COVID lockdowns, this shouldn't bother you because any honest economist of any political persuasion could tell you this was going to be the end result.
I'm not going to stop defending Hungary and Hungarians, which apparently includes you. It's a great country with great people, and if you don't like your leader, don't blame me because I didn't vote for him. I will say again that I would 1000% rather visit Hungary than Germany, France, or most places in Western Europe. Hungarians are way cooler, easier going, and friendlier than any other place I've visited over there. I'm married to a Serbian and I can tell you that Serbians wish their country had moved ahead as much as Hungary has over the past 30 years.
This is my last comment on this thread because really why? I came here to defend you since your entire country should not be maligned because of who your leader is. Politics is just a stupid waste of time, we all know that politicians are all corrupt no matter what party.
Tabori was a student of the great Mihaly Igloi. Igloi was a pioneer of interval training and he coached several of the earliest sub 4 milers. He and his athletes moved to Los Angeles after Melbourne 56 and started the LA Track Club. In LA, he continued to train his athletes from Hungary as well as many up and coming Americans. Joe Douglas, and Merle McGee founders of the Santa Monica TC around 1971 were mentees. They applied Igloi methods meticulously. Tabori went on to start the San Fernando Valley TC. Numerous top middle and distance runners were developed through these programs (Igloi methods). The influence of Hungarians are responsible for dozens of US medals and Records. Igloi coaching techniques are still widely used.
Hungarian resident here. What you just typed out is the government’s official spiel on numerous stances, nearly word for word- the same propaganda the citizens are bombarded with 24/7 via the state-owned media.
They have not pushed the country forward; they have nearly destroyed it. They build sports stadium after stadium while the people struggle to eat with 30% food inflation. The politicians suckle from the EU teet and enrich their cronies.
Please stop.
If it's bothering you so much, why don't you vote Orban out of office? I'm certainly not exposed to their propaganda as I don't watch Hungarian media at all. I guess it's easier to complain online.
My first comment here was about Balazs Kiss, the former hammer thrower, because this is a thread about Hungarian athletes. Some other joker crapped on Hungary because they can't resist the opportunity to take a dump on a place that dares to have a leader who isn't a globalist, probably addicted to liberal upvotes. I simply came in to defend a great people (probably around half of which don't support Orban) and country where I had a really nice experience. Did I mention Orban at all? Then I described what I have observed over 25+ years of traveling to Hungary, without a political stance other than to say that the leadership has moved the country forward. In 1996 when I first visited, the country had primitive roads, scarcely any automobiles (mostly Trabants and Ladas), a poor airport, limited hotel options, no supermarkets, etc. You cannot say with a straight face that the country is 'nearly destroyed' when there are beautiful new highways, buildings, airports, hotels, shopping, restaurants, and now a new stadium. What exactly did you want the government to do for you?
Food inflation is a problem all over the world. I wish it was only 30% here. I'm not defending Orban but this inflation is the result of the world printing a massive amount of money and then handing it out to people during COVID without increasing productivity. I'm not taking a position on whether that was good or bad, but the inflation is the price we are paying for it. It's just a reality we have to live with. If you were in favor of COVID lockdowns, this shouldn't bother you because any honest economist of any political persuasion could tell you this was going to be the end result.
I'm not going to stop defending Hungary and Hungarians, which apparently includes you. It's a great country with great people, and if you don't like your leader, don't blame me because I didn't vote for him. I will say again that I would 1000% rather visit Hungary than Germany, France, or most places in Western Europe. Hungarians are way cooler, easier going, and friendlier than any other place I've visited over there. I'm married to a Serbian and I can tell you that Serbians wish their country had moved ahead as much as Hungary has over the past 30 years.
This is my last comment on this thread because really why? I came here to defend you since your entire country should not be maligned because of who your leader is. Politics is just a stupid waste of time, we all know that politicians are all corrupt no matter what party.
Another ex-pat here. To touch on a few of your points, this is not about infrastructure and pretty roads (if that were all that mattered, we should all simply move to the UAE!). And the 'why not vote them out' is a difficult argument to make in a country with state-owned media and questionable election results, but I will avoid that topic for now.
This is also not about a single stadium. Although from my understanding it is true few wanted this 600m dollar behemoth. No, the contention coming from the Hungarian people is that this just another in line of the dozens of overpriced new stadiums being built. Of course few attend the matches in them. One can guess at who the contractors are. Then there's the 60m dollar art installation of a stadium built 20 meters from Orban's home in a small town (Felcsut) of 1600 people, where a few hundred go for matches. And this scene repeated in the towns of fellow high-ranking officials.
Hungary is a place where public hospitals are pretty rough, to put it nicely, and Universities are being defunded, but the sport stadiums are numerous and gleaming. Once again, this is the main feedback I hear from the people.
Anyway, here's some additional reading on stadiums.
MTK’s slightly curious new ground – it has concrete walls behind each goal, rather than stands – was built for €27m (£24m), 50% over budget. It was funded through Orbán’s controversial TAO scheme, which allows corporations to divert taxable profits, with minimal disclosure, to sports clubs and cultural institutions. Meanwhile, direct state funds have built a new 24,000-seater stadium for Ferencváros, the Groupama Arena in Budapest, for an official cost of €63m (£55m), and the 20,000-seat Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen for €55m (£48m). The Pancho Arena was a relative snip at €12m (£10m), but the Felcsút club also receives around €10m (£9m) per year through the scheme. Mezőkövesd, a town of around 17,000 in northern Hungary, a new 4,200-seater stadium was built for the local club – whose chairman is the Fidesz deputy minister András Tállai, also head of the national tax authority. Tállai showed his gratitude by commissioning an oil painting of Orbán and Puskás. Orbán’s campaign to make Hungarian football great again has attracted attention, but not for the reasons he might have hoped. (Attendance at most clubs remains poor, with grounds usually less than 20% full.) For opposition parties, however, the stadiums have become a ready symbol of Orbán’s hubris. “You can talk about constitutional law and people get bored, but show Felcsút and people know exactly what you are talking about,” the opposition activist Gábor Vágó said..... Even in Orbán’s inner circle, some fear the Pancho Arena may eventually be regarded as a folly. One friend of the prime minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, candidly recalled the moment, over dinner, when Orbán announced his plan to build a stadium in Felcsút. “We were a little bit like, ‘Do you really need this stadium here?’ This is his child side, he’s a fanatic, he’s enthusiastic about soccer … but it’s too big. I don’t think this is the best place – in 10 or 20 years, I don’t know how they will maintain and manage this building. I don’t think it was a good decision.”
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