By Maria Dobysheva
Laszlo Cseh, a five-time Olympic medalist and one of the most well-known international swimmers representing Hungary, has announced a move to a new coach and swim club.
Cseh had spent more than a decade swimming with Gyorgy Turi at the Kobanya Sport Club, winning multiple medals, world and European title.
Cseh has decided to rejoin Plagany Zsolt as his head coach, who was his original coach in the early 90s.
In a recent interview with Hungarian press, Zsolt said he had always kept in touch with Cseh throughout his career, and when Cseh contacted him searching for some new motivation, he gladly invited him back to his old team.
Along with his new training base and different workouts, Cseh is receiving sports psychology exercises in hopes of helping him break through finishing second and third in major meets.
“I’m leaving my team which has been the key part of my life since I was a teen but neither a conflict nor disapproval was a reason,” Cseh said. “I’ve grown up and matured, and now I really think I need a different training and someone to help me out [with it]. I’ve been thinking of changes in my career for a while but now the decision has been made and I’m ready to leave.”
Cseh is one of the most versatile swimmers in the history of the sport, and has medaled individually at three Olympic Games in a row. An Olympic gold medal, however, has always proved illusive with Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte regularly ahead of him.
“I have a big goal for me and it’s an Olympic Gold medal,” Cseh said. “I’ve been thinking and dreaming of it for a very long time but now I’m open to admit that I’m getting stronger and capable to win it.”
The last few years have been a bit of a journey for Cseh as he’s bounced around training camps to get some temporary work in from various places. He worked for awhile with Italian coach Admir Kajo Kajevic, who brought him to SwimMAC in the U.S. to train alongside his primary rival Lochte and with elite coach David Marsh.
This past year, Cseh won a trio of medals at the European Championships including gold in the 200 IM. He had initially planned on swimming at the World Short Course Championships in Doha, but elected to scratch the meet to announce his move away from Kobanya Swim Club.
Cseh could be looking at a different event slate going forward, as his Zsolt explained to the local media.
“If we look at the past 10 years, 200 and 400 IM and 200 butterfly were his main events,” Zsolt said. “But, now, he’s developing in the 100 butterfly and I think we’ll be focusing on it. But it doesn’t mean he drops those other events.”