A little more than a week before the start of the open water events, the Hungarian team, led by head coach Gabor Gellert, is preparing for the 17th FINA World Championships at Lake Balaton.

Local and national fans can be optimistic, because it is a team full of motivated swimmers, including a couple of young talented competitors.

The open water swimming competition of the 2017 FINA World Championships will start on 15 July with the men’s 5K event.

photo credit: BP1017

Hungarian swimmers had the chance to qualify for the World Championships at the French National Championship in June, the best two competitors will enter each event.

The line-up of the relay team has not been published yet, head coach Gabor Gellert will decide about it later this week.

Team’s presentation below.

MEN

KRISTOF RASOVSZKY (5km, 10km, 25km)

"Kristof has been in a good form recently, he has won a World Cup and two European Cup races in the last couple of weeks. He enters all three individual events, he feels the power to race in the 5k, 10k and 25k as well. He achieved a good result in an international competition in Israel back in 2015 already, and he has improved a lot since then. He loves the difficulties of open water swimming and hard work. I expect him to finish in the top 6, especially in the 10k and the 25k, but he may achieve more with the help of the home crowd."

MARK PAPP (5km)

"He is our number two male competitor. He finished 13th at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio, and won the bronze medal at the European Championships in the team event. I was surprised he did not manage to qualify for the World Championships in the 10k, but that’s how life is. It may turn out to be an advantage for him, though, since the 5k is his only event, I am sure he will do everything he can to achieve a good result."

DANIEL SZEKELYI (10km)

"He is a very hardworking athlete. He has changed clubs recently, and has been preparing for the World Championships under the supervision of former open water swimmer Gergely Kutasi. He has not achieved his best results so far, but he is really consistent. He has taken part in a couple of European Cup races, but he will need an excellent performance in order to achieve a top result. His goal for now must be to gain experience."

GERGELY GYURTA (25km)

"He already tried the 25k at the 2013 FINA World Championships, he finished 13th. He had an outstanding performance in the French Championship, finishing just behind former world champion Alex Meyer, so he has a true chance to finish in the top 6. He is really experienced both in the pool and in open water."

WOMEN

ANNA OLASZ (10km, 25 km)

"She is our number one female competitor. I expect a top 6 finish from her both in the 10k and the 25k. Her fitness is getting better and better, and she is already in good shape, so she can please Hungarian fans in Balatonfured. She claimed the silver medal two years ago in Kazan in the 25k, but it will be a very tough competition at this year’s edition with plenty of good swimmers."

KATA SOMENEK ONON (10km, 25km)

"It will be her first major senior competition. I was surprised that she managed to qualify for the World Championships with not only one but in two events, although she has had some notable results in some international contests for instance in Cyprus and in Israel. She finished fifth at last year’s European Junior Championships. Her coaches, Gyorgy Turi and Gyorgy Krajnyak have done an excellent job with her, but I think her main goal should be to gain experience."

MELINDA NOVOSZATH (5km)

"She has not got any experience in major senior competitions either, actually she missed the European Junior Championships because of an injury. She has to gain much more experience, too, but she is very fast, her finish is really good, so if she manages to stay close to the first bunch, anything can happen."

JANKA JUHASZ (5km)

"Like Kata Somenek Onon and Melinda Novoszath it will be the first time for her to meet the world’s senior elite, and she is not used to it yet. I have to say, though, that open water is a perfect choice for her, despite the fact that she also competes in the pool, in the 4x200m freestyle relay. She is a European junior champion and world junior silver medallist, so I am sure she will have a very successful senior career."