Rio2016 – The team of Hungarian kayak and canoe rowers is ready to compete in Rio at the Olympics

The Hungarian Canoe Federation accepted the suggestions of head coach Botond Storcz on Monday, July 18, thus the ultimate line-up of the Hungarian Olympic team of kayak and canoe could be listed by origo.hu. The Hungarian national team will send 15+3 competitors to Rio, of whom everyone will compete at the Olympic Games, starting on August 5.

In London, four years ago, the Hungarian national team lined up 13 competitors, though, back then the Hungarians did not participate in three events. This time however, the Olympic team consists of 15 competitors and three backups.

The head coach told the site that he would expect every unit to qualify to the finals, and the team to get at least five medals. Also, according to him, the prospects are great, for every event will include Hungarians, which is a great improvement compared to the London Games, because there were fewer Hungarians competing in fewer events at the time.

However, some changes had to be made regarding the competitors just recently, because Bence Dombvári – who won the domestic qualifiers for two events – was caught at the doping test. Still, the final units and pairs and the backups were chosen, based on their results, at the sorting last Thursday.

Instead of Dombovári the 19-year old promising talent, Bálint Kopasz will compete in K-1 1000m, whereas in K-2 1000m Benjámin Ceiner was chosen to replace Dombovári to row aside Tibor Hufnágel in Rio next month.

Let us see then, what the line-up looks like:

The men’s team include:

K-1 1000m: Bálint Kopasz

K-2 1000m: Tibor Hufnágel and Benjámin Ceiner

K-4 1000m: the abovementioned Hufnágel and Ceiner, Attila Kugler and Tamár Somorácz

K-1 200m: Bence Horváth

K-2 200m: Horváth and Máté Szomolányi

C-1 1000m: Henrik Vasbányai

C-2 1000m: Vasbányai and Róbert Mike

C-1 200m: Jonatán Hajdu

backups: Balázs Birkás for kayak and Tamás Kiss for canoe

The women’s team consists of:

K-1 500m: Danuta Kozák

K-2 500m: Kozák and Gabriella Szabó

K-4 500m: Szabó, Kozák, Tamara Csipes and Krisztina Fazekas-Zur

K-1 200m: Natasa Dusev-Janics

backup for kayak: Anna Kárász

Photo: MTI/EPA/Szergej Ilnyickij

Copy editor: bm

Source: origo.hu