World Rowing e-Magazine, Spring 2006

Hungar y’s
lightweight phenomena

For every doubles combination that works there are a variety of reasons for their effectiveness. For Hungary’s 2005 World Champions in the lightweight men’s double Zsolt Hirling and Tamas Varga, it’s all about total commitment to the same goal.

Just back from a six-week training camp in South Australia with their coach Laszlo Kiss, Zsolt explains: “We have the same aim, we see the goal to reach, and we do all we can to reach it. On the water we think the same, we want the same, and we will do everything to be the best in races.”

than just pulling on the oars. In the Final at Schinias we just pulled and pulled,” explains Zsolt.

(lightweight single in 2001) while Zsolt began his international career just four years ago as a junior and has already won a World Cup medal as a 19-year-old.

It’s all about total
commitment to

That goal is gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and after disappointment at the Athens Olympics the duo is more determined than ever.

In a tightly fought race, finishing in fifth place meant being just over three seconds outside of a gold medal. This came one year after Tamas and Zsolt began rowing together and burst onto the lightweight doubles scene by taking second place at the 2003 Rowing World Cup in Milan.

the same goal

Finishing fifth on the Schinias course at Athens was way below their expectations but they admit that as a crew they were still young, Zsolt being just 20 and Tamas 26 at the time.

This set the standard for the two rowers and ignited their golden dream. Although they share a mutual goal, differences do distinguish them.

One of seven siblings, dark-haired Zsolt, the self-proclaimed louder one, says he admires Michael Schumacher and is much more “extreme” than Tamas. He comes from the town of Vac which has produced other top Hungarian rowers including doubles World Champion Tibor Peto. Zsolt’s younger brother, known as the “small Hirling”, is also showing promise as a rower and has already represented Hungary as a junior.

Both Zsolt and Tamas are students at the University of Budapest. Tamas is studying chemistry and Zsolt traffic engineering. Fitting training around their course work, a typical training day involves three sessions – a short one before breakfast and two more intensive ones later in the day. “Then the day has gone,” says Zsolt.

“We had a lot of technical problems with our style. Rowing is so beautiful because it’s more

Blonde-haired Tamas, the quieter of the two is Zsolt’s senior by six years and has been plugging away on the international scene for nearly a decade, getting as far as a World Championship bronze

Tamas shares his name in common with many Hungarians, including another lightweight rower and a water polo star. He lives in Budakalász and, like Zsolt, was born in Budapest.

Hungary’s team manager Dr Peter Kokas admits that rowing in Hungary is not very well known but the success of Zsolt and Tamas has already been recognised. Last year they won Hungary’s Best Team of the Year, elected by popular vote through a nationwide newspaper readers’ poll. This increased profile has inspired more young people to row.

Zsolt has noticed the effect: “In a small country like Hungary, our success has a very big impact on young girls and boys who are rowing or who want to join a rowing club.”

Formerly the Hungarian rowing focus was on the two-time World Champions, Akos Haller and Tibor Peto. Now the focus has switched to the two lightweights who are following their Olympic gold medal dream. M.S.B.■

Tamas Varga (stroke) and Zsolt Hirling of Hungary win gold at the 2005 Rowing World Cup in Eton / Les Hongrois Tamas Varga (chef de nage) et Zsolt Hirling remportent l’or à la Coupe du monde d’aviron 2005 à Eton.