Rita Kőbán (born 10 April 1965 in Budapest

Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

) is a Hungarian

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 competed from 1985 to 2000. Competing in four Summer Olympics, she won six medals with two golds (1992

1992 Summer Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

: K-4 500 m, 1996

1996 Summer Olympics

The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

: K-1 500 m), three silvers (1988

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

: K-4 500 m, 1992: K-1 500 m, 2000

2000 Summer Olympics

The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

: K-4 500 m), and one bronze (1992: K-2 500 m).

Kőbán has also been very successful in the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with 26 medals. This includes nine golds (K-1 200 m: 1994

1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1994 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Mexico City, Mexico for the second time at neighboring Xochimilco. The Mexican city had hosted the event previously in 1974 at the same venue that hosted the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1968 Summer Olympics.The men's...

, 1995

1995 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1995 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Duisburg, Germany for the third time. The German city had hosted the event previously in 1979 and 1987 when it was part of West Germany....

; K-1 500 m: 1995, K-2 200 m: 1994, K-4 200 m: 1994, 1998

1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Szeged, Hungary.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all in kayak....

, 1999

1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1999 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Milan, Italy at the Idroscalo.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all kayak....

; K-4 500 m: 1986

1986 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1986 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Île Notre-Dame. This is also where the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1976 Summer Olympics took place....

, 1999), ten silvers (K-1 500 m: 1991

1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Paris, France.The men's competition consisted of eight Canadian and nine kayak events. Five events were held for the women, all in kayak...

, 1994; K-1 5000 m: 1993

1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Copenhagen, Denmark for the third time. The Danish city had hosted the event previously in 1950 and 1970....

, K-2 200 m: 1998, K-2 500 m: 1985

1985 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1985 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Mechelen, Belgium.The men's competition consisted of six Canadian and nine kayak events. Three events were held for the women, all in kayak....

, K-4 500 m: 1987

1987 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1987 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Duisburg, West Germany for the second time. The West German city hosted the championships previously in 1979....

, 1989

1989 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1989 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.The men's competition consisted of eight Canadian and nine kayak events. Five events were held for the women, all in kayak...

, 1990

1990 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1990 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Poznań, Poland on Lake Malta.The men's competition consisted of eight Canadian and nine kayak events. Five events were held for the women, all in kayak....

, 1991, 1994), and seven bronzes (K-1 200 m: 1999, K-1 500 m: 1998, K-2 200 m: 1999, K-2 500 m: 1998, K-4 500 m: 1985, 1993, 1995).

She was elected Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in 1994 and 1995, ending swimmer Krisztina Egerszegi

Krisztina Egerszegi

Krisztina Egerszegi is a Hungarian former world record holding swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern era...

's string of six consecutive titles.

After retiring, she briefly enjoyed a period as a TV presenter.