László Cseh to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame

László Cseh, one of the greatest names in Hungarian swimming, will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) this year, the ISHOF website reports. The ceremony will be held on May 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Cseh will join the ranks of immortals such as Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Nathan Adrian, and Ferry Weertman.

Cseh, who became an electrician after announcing his retirement last year, competed in five Olympic Games, bringing home a total of six medals, and also collected a string of world and European championship titles. He won a total of 74 medals at international competitions, including 38 gold, 19 silver, and 17 bronze ones. He proved to be the best at the European Championships 33 times, and set five world records in his favorite event, the medley.

The museum dedicated to famous figures in aquatic sports, has been operating since 1964. The first Hungarian inductee was Alfréd Hajós in 1966, and since then, others have joined him, such as water polo players Tibor Benedek and Tamás Faragó, swimmers such as Krisztina Egerszegi, Ágnes Kovács and Norbert Rózsa, as well as the coach of the three-time Olympic gold medalist water polo team, Dénes Kemény.

The story of László Cseh began at the 2003 World Championships, when he suddenly burst onto the scene as a challenger to Michael Phelps in the 400-meter medley. His story concluded at the Olympics which were postponed to 2021, when the Chinese winner ceremoniously bowed before him, expressing his respect after the 200-meter medley final.