A fortnight ago Hungarian Olympians Katinka Hosszu and Daniel Gyurta expressed discontent about the Hungarian Swimming Federation and called for the resignation of its president, Tamas Gyarfas. That call has now come to fruition as Gyarfas announced his resignation today.
Gyarfas explained to the news agency MTI,
I hereby resign because I feel this is the best way for me to help now. I became chairman of the Swimming Association in 1993…It was great to be a part of the five European Championships Hungary hosted and I am happy to have been there when we won the right to host the World Championships.
Both Hosszu and Gyurta made public announcements of their discontent on their respective Facebook pages, citing Gyarfas’ poor management skills and worsening training conditions for professional swimmers as grounds for removal.
Hosszu has been the most vocal about Gyarfas and the Hungarian Swimming Federation, having distanced herself from the Federation last December when she openly criticized the Federation for its inability to provide the proper resources to its swimmers. The three-time Olympic gold medalist, coached solely by husband Shane Tusup, continued to distance herself in early 2016 when she tore up a monetary contract that would’ve required her to promote the Federation.
2012 Olympic gold medalist, Gyurta, took a more solemn approach, noting, “You know things in Hungarian swimming are a problem, and the irony is that the swimmers – the whole matter should be about – will suffer.”
The Federation is facing major changes as they race towards the 2017 FINA World Championships, which will be held in Budapest next summer. Additionally, the city is one of three candidates vying for the chance to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
No potential candidates for the now vacant presidency have been revealed as of yet and it is unclear how, or if, Gyarfas’ resignation will affect his position as the vice president of FINA.
More about Gyarfas’ resignation can be found at Propeller.hu and Express Sports.