Rita Kovács
Rita Kovács (born 29 March 1970 in Nyíregyháza) is a former open water swimmer from Ungheria, Hungary.
Contents
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- She was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in the Class of 2023.
- She represented her home country at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the 800m freestyle, finishing in 9:06.97 at the age of 26.
- She competed on the International Marathon Swimming Association and the FINA Grand Prix professional marathon swimming circuits for 11 years over an 18-year period, finishing on the podium for 64% of her 35 races held in 15 different countries.
- She finished 4th in the 1991 FINA World Swimming Championships 25 km marathon swim held in the Swan River in Western Australia at the age of 20.
- She won a bronze medal in the mixed 25 km competition at the 6th FINA World Championships held in the Swan River in Western Australia at the age of 20.
- She won a silver medal in the 25 km race at the 7th FINA World Swimming Championships held in Rome at the age of 24 on 8 September 1994.
- She won a gold medal in the 25 km race at the 1997 LEN European Championships at the age of 27.
- She won a silver medal in the 10 km race at the 2006 LEN European Championships.
- She won a bronze in the 25 km race at the 1991 LEN European Championships in Italy
- She won the 25 km race in Lake Balaton, Hungary in 1991 to qualify for the 1991 FINA World Championships.
- She won the 1993 30 km Fürth Marathon held in Germany.
- She won the 25 km Ohrid Lake Swimming Marathon held in Macedonia in 1993.
- She won the 1996 57 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe - Coronda in Argentina.
- She won the 60 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Ciudad de Rosario, in Argentina in 1996.
- She won the 26 km Tapes Marathon in Brazil in 1996
- She won the 1997 57 km Maratón Acuática Internacional Santa Fe - Coronda in Argentina in 1997.
- She won the 60 km Maratón Acuática Internactional Ciudad de Rosario in Argentina in 1997
- 1995 European Swimming Championships in Vienna, gold medal in the 5 km open water swim at the age of 25.
- 1997 European Swimming Championships in Sevilla, gold medal in the 25 km marathon swim at the age of 27.
- 2006 European Swimming Championships in Budapest, silver medal in the 10 km marathon swim at the age of 36.
- 1991 European Swimming Championships in Terracina, bronze medal in the 25 km marathon swim at the age of 20.
- 1997 European Swimming Championships in Sevilla, bronze medal in the 5 km open water swim at the age of 27.
- 1985 European Junior Swimming Championships in Geneva, bronze medal 800m freestyle.
- On 10 August 1992, she finished 3rd in the 30 km Sylvan Lake World Series Marathon Swim in Alberta, Canada.
- On 5 July 1992, she finished 2nd in the 36th edition of the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 7 hours 25 minutes 19 seconds.
- On 6 July 1991, she finished 2nd in the 35th edition of the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 7 hours 43 minutes 41 seconds.
- On 26 July 1992, she did not finish the 38th 25 km Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Canada.
- On 1 August 1993, she finished 17th overall and 5th woman in the 39th 40 km Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Canada in 10 hours 42 minutes 47 seconds.
- She finished 2nd in the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 1991.
- She finished 2nd in the 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 1993.
- She finished 2nd in the 88 km Maratón Acuática Hernandarias-Paraná in Argentina in 1993.
- She won the 2005 FINA World Cup 10 km event in Ein El Sokhna, Egypt after an 8-year retirement.
- She competed in the 10 km race finishing in 2:02:54.80 at the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sevilla, Spain at the age of 38 on 3 May 2008.
- She coached Éva Risztov to compete in the pool and win the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2012 London Olympics.
1991 FINA World Championship 25 km Race Results
Held in Swan River in Perth, Australia
1 Shelley Taylor-Smith 5:21:06
2 Martha Jahn 5:25:17
3 Karen Burton Reeder 5:28:23
4 Rita Kovacs 5:31:33
5 Elana Resch 5:39:47
6 Tammy Van Wisse 5:42:53
7 Corinne Liedtke 5:48:58
8 Lenka Pacáková 5:57:35
9 Rita Lazar 6:00:22
10 Jolanda Palmentieri 6:21:17
11 Bridget Young 6:25:03
12 Anita Sood 6:26:56
13 Diana Simonović 6:28:21
14 Christiane Fanzeres 6:28:44
15 Carole Hunt 6:31:20
16 Marcia Marques 6:36:10
17 Katarina Mioč 6:40:15
18 Muna Towe 6:46:09
19 Daria Amaged 7:23:02
1994 FINA World Championships 25 km Race Results
1. Melissa Cunningham, Australia 5 hours 48 minutes
2. Rita Kovacs, Hungary 5 hours 50 minutes
3. Shelley Taylor-Smith, Australia 5 hours 53 minutes
4. Anne Chagnaud, France 6 hours 0 minutes
5. Bambi Bowman, USA 6 hours 5 minutes
6. Luciana Sagae, Brazil 6 hours 8 minutes
7. Peggy Büchse, Germany 6 hours 11 minutes
8. Samantha Chabotar, USA 6 hours 15 minutes
9. Angela Collett, Australia 6 hours 19 minutes
10. Monica Olmi, Italy 6 hours 20 minutes
11. Annie Grandisson, Canada 6 hours 22 minutes
12. Eva Berlanovits, Hungary 6 hours 23 minutes
13. Francesca Audano, Italy 6 hours 24 minutes
14. Kim Dyke, Canada 6 hours 25 minutes
15. Pamela Kalas, Switzerland 6 hours 28 minutes
16. Katarina Hornakova, Slovakia 6 hours 33 minutes
17. Yvetta Hlaváčová, Czech Republic 6 hours 34 minutes
18. Edith van Dijk, Netherlands 6 hours 34 minutes
19. Annette Andermatt, Switzerland 6 hours 38 minutes
20. Wandy Kater, Netherlands 6 hours 40 minutes
21. Natasha Figge, South Africa 6 hours 48 minutes
22. Brittney Wockner, Australia 6 hours 50 minutes
23. Zuzana Martinovičová, Slovakia 6 hours 50 minutes
24. Teodora Raptis, Northern Macedonia 6 hours 51 minutes
25. Sara Ward, Great Britain 6 hours 52 minutes
External links
- 1991, The Year Sports Changed. Men vs. Women In The Open Water
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- Rita Kovács of Hungary to be Inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
- Will the 25K Race At FINA World Championships Be Cancelled?
- Ignorance Was Bliss; Wisdom Was Welcomed By Kim Dyke
- When Diego Degano, Shelley Taylor-Smith Ruled Sylvan Lake
- Silvia Dalotto Talks About Grit And Integrity On WOWSA Live
- Marathon Swimmers Federation bio
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Mel Cunningham Talks About Her Long Career On WOWSA Live
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming
- Olympic 10K Marathon Swim
- Daily News of Open Water Swimming
- I Got Stung
- World Marathon Swimming Association
