University of Texas swimmer Hubert Kos has been popping up in lots of headlines this fall in his native Hungary after a successful World Cup that saw him win the overall title and rack up $184,000 in earnings.
NCAA rules prevent him from keeping most of that money beyond actual costs, and Kos admitted as much in a recent interview, though money moving through foreign countries can be murky for the United States.
His absence this week from the University of Texas’ mid-season Hall of Fame Invitational, and the entire fall semester, might have raised some eyebrows as to whether the Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion in the 200 backstroke had changed his mind and decided to go pro after all, with large piles of money in front of him.
But Texas head coach Bob Bowman confirmed to SwimSwam on Thursday that while Kos is not on the team’s varsity roster this semester, he is planning to rejoin the Longhorns for collegiate competition in the spring.
After the World Cup, Kos traveled to train at altitude at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is skipping the European Short Course Championships to compete at the US Open in December.
And while he can’t keep his prize money, that doesn’t mean that he is not valuable back home. Sandor Wladar, the president of the Hungarian Swimming Association and himself the 1980 Olympic gold medalist in the 200 backstroke, called Kos the second most valuable athlete in Hungary in an interview with Origo Sport.
“Hubert Kos has now finally entered the public consciousness,” Wladar added.
“I think he is now Hungary’s second most valuable athlete. After Dominik Szoboszlai, there is no question that he is next. Also because he speaks out. His humanity, his patriotism, his commitment to Hungary, his outlook on life, his philosophy are all top notch.”
Dominik Szoboszlai is a 25-year-old soccer player who competes for the behemoth Liverpool club in the English Premier League.
And that might not be entirely hyperbole. While Hungary has a proud sporting history, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they won only six Olympic gold medals, and none were double gold medalists. Katinka Hosszu is now retired and the one-time heir to her Hungarian swimming throne Kristof Milak has shrunk from the spotlight. They have other great champions, like fencer Aron Szilagyi, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, but even with much longer to build his reputation, he has fewer social media followers than does Kos.
Other elite athletes in the country, including canoeist Danuta Kozak, also shy away from the promotion that dictates these tiers, and while they could have an argument over Kos for now, they are at the tail end of their careers and Kos is really just beginning.
The 22-year-old Kos has an Irish grandmother and studied at an American school, which gives him a strong grasp of the English language to further raise his international profile.
What might further raise his profile domestically is the hints at a new event in his lineup: the 200 fly.
While Kos has mostly risen to international prominence in the backstroke races, when he was younger he seemed destined to be an IM’er. That versatility never really left him, as he proved in April when he swam a 50.55 in the 100 meter fly (long course).
But in an interview with his home club Budapesti VSC, Kos says that he has eyes on a new event that will strike a note in Hungary: the 200 fly.
Kos says that he wanted to swim the 200 fly at the World Championships, but because he only had the standard from the Indy Summer Cup (1:56.49) and a local meet in Austin (1:56.07), incidentally the two best times of his career, and those meets weren’t approved World Championship qualifiers, he wasn’t eligible to race the event in Singapore.
“So (making the 200 fly standard) is my primary goal now,” Kos said of his US Open racing. “I don’t know yet how fit we’ll be and how relaxed we’ll be, but I’m obviously trying to perform at my best in every race. Also, it’s an important motivation that my brother is also competing in this race, so I hope he’ll do well too.”
His brother Oli Kos swims at Northwestern and has a best of 1:45.08 in yards, though he hasn’t done much long course racing of the 200 fly.
While the backstroke races are certainly important to fans of Hungarian swimming via their connection to Krisztina Egerszegi, the 200 fly might be the event most synonymous with the country’s swimming scene.
Kristof Milak, Katinka Hosszu, Laszlo Cseh, Zsu Jakabos, Boglarka Kapas, Eva Risztov Tamas Kenderesi, and Bence Biczo are among the country’s legendary 200 butterfliers. Kos would also not be the first to fluidly float between backstroke, butterflier, and IM races either.
Kos will have his first chance to race for the Longhorns this season at the Eddie Reese Showdown on January 23rd, when they welcome in #12 Louisville and #13 Ohio State.
Is there anything preventing foreign NCAA athletes from accepting deferred payments that only pay out once you are done competing for the school?
I’m like 90% sure it depends on your visa
Different attorneys have different opinions on NIL. There’s one who insists that NCAA athletes can get special talent visas instead of student visas and take all the NIL money that they want.
The one spot where there’s consensus is basically “if you do the promotioning outside of the US, you’re fine.”
What’s not entirely clear is whether someone on foreign soil can “manage” your account for you re NIL, or if this kind of prize money impacts a student visa (so there’s two similar, but separate, issues going on – NCAA rules and visa rules).
RE: prize money…there’s honestly nothing preventing foreign NCAA athletes from just accepting the prize money now. It’s pretty well-known among international swimmers that the NCAA… Read more »
Some 200 fly speculation:
At the meet he went 1:56.0, he was about half a second slower in the 200 back. He went 1:53.1 in the latter as part of a busy schedule – a similar drop in th 200 fly would have placed him firmly into bronze/silver medal contention in Singapore.
That’s obviously not exactly how it works, but there is potential there to be sure.
The best thing is Hubi is humble, not complicated, and yet very competitive, which is the necessary ingredients if you want longevity and maintaining the love for swimming.
Yeah, I really like Hubi and his state of mind.
Like Léon I would say, they’re good friends and seems to have many things in common.
I don’t know them but I enjoy as you said the image of humility and simplicity they embody as competitors.
Hubi Kos’ father manages his finances. His father is the retired head of the Eastern European division of the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse Cooper so his finances are in good hands.
Loved this article!
He does have a considerable presence in media second to only our best football players. Love his willingness to give interviews.
So he could make millions from NIL but can’t keep prize money? We have a weird system.
He actually cannot, because of his Visa status.
He’s the worst Call of Duty player in all of World Aquatics though
I like him all the more, then.
where is this coming from? is he mnk or controller?