Tamás Darnyi

Possibly one of the greatest medley swimmers of all time, Tamás Darnyi dominated his speciality between 1985 and 1992. He won the 200/400 m medley double at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, the 1986 and 1991 World Championships, and the 1985, 1987 and 1989 European Championships. He also won a European title in the 200 m butterfly, and a world bronze in the same event. A teen talent, Darnyi might have competed at the 1984 Olympics, but both the Eastern European boycott and a personal accident prevented this. He was hit by a snowball in the left eye, which left him blind in one eye. After recovering, he started an unbeaten streak in medley events that lasted from 1985 to 1993. During that period, he bettered the World Record in both medley events three times. After his final European title in 1993 (400 medley), he retired and managed a Budapest sports school.