The stories of five legendary Hungarian sportswomen

Hungary’s sport-life started in the 19^th century when the first official and professional sports clubs and associations were established in the country. At the end of the century, all Hungarian citizen had the opportunity to take up a sport and lead a healthy lifestyle. When the era of the Modern Olympic Games started, Hungary sent its most professional sportsmen and women to take part in different games. Below you can read about five outstanding Hungarian women who wrote themselves into the history of the Hungarian sport.

Lilly Kronberger (1890 – 1974)

Kronberger was born in Budapest on the 12^th of November 1890 to a Jewish family. She dedicated her life to figure skating from a very early age. She was trained by the well-known figure skater Victor Seibert and was only twelve years old when she took part in her first championship and won a bronze medal.

On January 28, 1908, she won the official world championship and became Hungary’s first ever world champion. After 1908 she became a world champion an additional three times in her career.

Her last championship in Vienna was the first figure skating championship in the world where music was played. This idea came from the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály. She got married which meant that her figure skating career ended.

In 1997 she became a member of the The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Ilona Elek (1907 – 1988)

Ilona Elek was born on the 17^th May 1907 in Budapest. She became obsessed with fencing at a very early age, which is the most successful sport in Hungary. She started to take part in competitions in 1928 with great successes. After winning Hungarian and European championships, she took part in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

She won a gold medal, and this achievement made her the first Hungarian sportswoman who ever received an Olympic medal. The Nazis were furious about Ilona Elek’s win because she ended the games ahead of the German fencer Helene Mayer.

Besides the Olympics, she won six world championships, five European championships, and another ten Hungarian champion titles. In 1948 she earned her second gold medal at the Olympics in London.