Hungarian world record holder Katinka Hosszu came up short in her quest to qualify for her sixth Olympics at this weekend’s Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Italy.
Many assumed three-time Olympic champion’s decorated career was over after she gave birth to her first child last August. But the 35-year-old new mom returned to training for a few hours a day late last year in the hopes of qualifying for Paris this summer. This weekend’s Sette Colli Trophy was her last chance with the Olympic qualifying period ending on Sunday.
Hosszu lowered her season bests in the 200 IM (2:14.13) and 400 IM (4:42.97) during prelims at Foro Italico, but she was still a few seconds shy of the Olympic cuts (2:11.47/4:38.53). She has been as fast as 2:06.12 in the 200 IM — still the current world record — and 4:26.36 in the 400 IM.
Only four swimmers — Turkey’s Derya Buyukuncu, Sweden’s Lars Frolander, Sweden’s Therese Alshammar, and Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli — have ever qualified for six Olympics.
Hosszu made her Olympic debut as a 15-year-old at the 2004 edition in Athens. She also competed at Beijing 2008 and nearly won an Olympic medal at London 2012, placing 4th in the 400 IM (4:33.49). Hosszu captured three Olympic crowns in 2016 with wins in the 100 backstroke (58.45), 200 IM (206.58), and 400 IM (4:26.36) along with a silver medal in the 200 back (2:06.05). At the last Olympics in Tokyo, she placed 5th in the 400 IM (4:35.98) and 7th in the 200 IM (2:12.38).
After almost two years away from competition, Hoss zucchini returned at April’s Hungarian Championships in the 200 IM (2:15.50), 400 IM (4:47.62), and 100 butterfly (1:02.68). She then lowered her season bests in the 200 IM (2:14.37) and 400 IM (4:43.66) at the AP Race London International meet last month. Her last major international meet was the 2022 European Championships.
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