Tragedy: 34-year-old Hungarian World Champion Kayaker Miklós Dudás dies

In his home in Budapest’s 18th district, the 34-year-old kayaking legend Miklós Dudás was found dead yesterday. His body was carried away amid relentless snowfall. A neighbour recounted how his love, the model and influencer Ivett Szigligeti, called out to him in utter shock. But it was too late to save the former world champion. Police have ruled out foul play, though authorities are still probing the cause of the athlete’s untimely death.

Stunning career broken

The Hungarian sports world first took notice of 34-year-old Miklós Dudás in 2012, when he stormed to sixth place in the K-1 200m at the London Olympics. Just two years later, at 23, he claimed the top spot on the podium. At the 2014 Moscow World Championships, as part of the 4x200m relay team alongside Sándor Tótka, Dávid Hérics, and Bence Nádas, he clinched gold. His haul also included two world championship bronzes, a European silver, and a bronze, plus world titles in youth and U23 categories.

A promising career hit a devastating snag with a doping violation. He won gold in K-1 200m at the 2015 European Games, but it was stripped after traces of a banned hormone were found in his sample. He received a 36-month ban—three full years—from competition. He made a comeback in 2018, only to retire from elite sport in early 2021.

Turbulent private life, tragic losses

The doping scandal plunged Miklós Dudás into dark days. Though he’d been with his love, model and influencer Ivett Szigligeti, since 2015—dreaming of growing old together—he betrayed her trust. Their relationship was a rollercoaster of break-ups and reconciliations. The sportsman admitted his last infidelity was three years ago, but Ivett forgave him, and they pressed on as a couple.

Their passionate “firestorm” romance bore two children: daughter Nara in 2019, and son Miló in 2022. The ex-world champ’s final Facebook post, from last December, was a heartfelt tribute to his little boy.

Police are still investigating the circumstances of the sportsman’s death, with no details released yet. Miklós Dudás appeared on Celebrity Boxing, reaching the final; his coach described him as introspective, keeping troubles to himself, but a fierce fighter at heart.

In February last year, Dudás lost his father, brutally beaten by a six-man gang of boxers at a petrol station the previous autumn. Miklós and his mother struggled deeply to come to terms with the horror.

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