Attila Vajda
Encyclopedia
Attila Vajda is a Hungarian
sprint canoer
who has competed since the early 2000s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he has won two medals in the C-1 1000 m event with a gold in 2008
and a bronze in 2004
.
Vajda was a European junior champion in 2000, winning the Canadian canoe
C-2 1000 m title with Démász-Szeged team-mate Márton Joób
in Boulogne
, France. In 2002 the pair came second at the European under-23 championships in Zagreb
, Croatia in the same event.
Hungarian coach Zoltán Angyal
was confident of Vajda's ability but took the decision not to give him his senior international debut in 2002 or 2003. In 2004, Angyal was still keeping his cards close to his chest. The Hungarian team did not take part in the early season international regattas: at the European Championships Hungary was represented in the C-1 races by Márton Joób and Sándor Malomsoki
. Angyal then shocked his rival coaches by selecting Vajda as his "secret weapon" for the 2004 Summer Olympics
in the C-1 1000 m event.
In his initial heat with a time of 3:57.290, Vajda qualified for the semifinals. There, he placed second, this time at 3:52.236, advancing to the final round. Vajda won a bronze in the event behind Spain
's David Cal
and Germany
's Andreas Dittmer
, but beat out 1996 Olympic champion Martin Doktor
with a time of 3:49.025.
Hungary is one of the few countries in the world where sprint canoers have the status of stars known to the general public and Vajda suddenly found himself the new "golden boy" of Hungarian canoeing. His performances in 2005 suffered as a result of these distractions; he started the season overweight and failed to make the podium in any major international race.
In 2006 he won the national title over all three distances and, in May, beat a top-class international field at Duisburg
. Injury prevented him from appearing at the European championships, but he was determined not to miss the 2006 World Championships, held in his hometown of Szeged
. He recovered in time to take the C-1 1000 m bronze medal behind surprise winner Everardo Cristóbal
of Mexico and Germany's Andreas Dittmer. Vadja won the gold medal in the same event at the following world championships in Duisburg
.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, Vajda wore a black armband in dedication to his fallen teammate György Kolonics
and dedicated his C-1 1000 m gold in Kolonics' honor. He would win the Hungarian Sportsman of The Year for his Beijing win.
Vajda won a silver in the C-1 4 x 200 m event at the 2009 championships
in Dartmouth
. He also won a silver in the C-1 1000 m at the 2010 championships
.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
who has competed since the early 2000s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he has won two medals in the C-1 1000 m event with a gold in 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and a bronze in 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
Vajda was a European junior champion in 2000, winning the Canadian canoe
Sprint canoe
A sprint canoe is a special type of canoe used in the sport of flatwater canoe racing.A one-person sprint canoe is 5.20 metres long; a traveling canoe of a similar length would be suitable for 2 to 3 people with gear...
C-2 1000 m title with Démász-Szeged team-mate Márton Joób
Márton Joób
Marton Joób is a Hungarian sprint canoer who has competed since 2003. He won four medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with three golds and one bronze .Joób also finished seventh in the C-1 500 m event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.-References:***...
in Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, France. In 2002 the pair came second at the European under-23 championships in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia in the same event.
Hungarian coach Zoltán Angyal
Zoltán Angyal
Zoltán Angyal is a Hungarian sprint canoer who competed in the early 1970s. He won a silver medal in the K-1 4 x 500 m event at the 1973 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Tampere.-References:**...
was confident of Vajda's ability but took the decision not to give him his senior international debut in 2002 or 2003. In 2004, Angyal was still keeping his cards close to his chest. The Hungarian team did not take part in the early season international regattas: at the European Championships Hungary was represented in the C-1 races by Márton Joób and Sándor Malomsoki
Sandor Malomsoki
Sándor Malomsoki is a Hungarian sprint canoer who competed in the early 2000s. He won a gold medal in the C-4 200 m event at the 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Gainesville.-References:**...
. Angyal then shocked his rival coaches by selecting Vajda as his "secret weapon" for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in the C-1 1000 m event.
In his initial heat with a time of 3:57.290, Vajda qualified for the semifinals. There, he placed second, this time at 3:52.236, advancing to the final round. Vajda won a bronze in the event behind Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's David Cal
David Cal
David Cal Figueroa is a Spanish sprint canoer who has competed since 1999. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he has won four medals with a gold and three silvers .Cal was a junior world championship bronze medallist in Zagreb in 1999...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Andreas Dittmer
Andreas Dittmer
Andreas Dittmer is a German sprint canoer. The dominant sprint canoer of his generation in 1000 m races, he has won three Olympic and eight world championship gold medals.Dittmer won his first world championship medal - a bronze - at Paris in 1991 as a member of Germany's C-4 500 m crew...
, but beat out 1996 Olympic champion Martin Doktor
Martin Doktor
Martin Doktor is the Czech Republic's best-known sprint canoer. He was double Olympic champion in the Canadian canoe C-1 discipline at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta...
with a time of 3:49.025.
Hungary is one of the few countries in the world where sprint canoers have the status of stars known to the general public and Vajda suddenly found himself the new "golden boy" of Hungarian canoeing. His performances in 2005 suffered as a result of these distractions; he started the season overweight and failed to make the podium in any major international race.
In 2006 he won the national title over all three distances and, in May, beat a top-class international field at Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
. Injury prevented him from appearing at the European championships, but he was determined not to miss the 2006 World Championships, held in his hometown of Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
. He recovered in time to take the C-1 1000 m bronze medal behind surprise winner Everardo Cristóbal
Everardo Cristóbal
José Everardo Cristóbal Quirino is a Mexican sprint canoer who has been competing since 2005....
of Mexico and Germany's Andreas Dittmer. Vadja won the gold medal in the same event at the following world championships in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Vajda wore a black armband in dedication to his fallen teammate György Kolonics
György Kolonics
György Kolonics , nicknamed Kolo, was a Hungarian sprint canoer who won two gold and two bronze medals at four Summer Olympics...
and dedicated his C-1 1000 m gold in Kolonics' honor. He would win the Hungarian Sportsman of The Year for his Beijing win.
Vajda won a silver in the C-1 4 x 200 m event at the 2009 championships
2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2009 International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint World Championships were held 12–16 August 2009 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Lake Banook. The Canadian city was selected to host the championships in October 2003 after having done so previously in 1997...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes after the large number of lakes located in the city.On April 1, 1996, the provincial...
. He also won a silver in the C-1 1000 m at the 2010 championships
2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 2010 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held 19–22 August 2010 in Poznań, Poland, on Lake Malta. This is the third time that the Polish city will host the championships, having done so previously in 1990 and 2001...
.
Awards and recognition
- Hungarian Sportsman of The Year: 2008
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic: 2008