2026 Hungarian National Championships
- April 15-19, 2026
- Prelims
- Day 1, 3, 5: 9:00 am local (3:00 am ET)
- Day 2 & 4: 10 am local (4:00 am ET)
- Finals — 5:30 pm local (11:30 am ET)
- Sopron, Hungary — Lővér Swimming Pool
- LCM (50 Meters)
- Meet Central
- Live Results and Start Lists
- Livestreams on YouTube
The 2026 Hungarian National Swimming Championships kick off tomorrow in Sopron, and world record holder Kristof Milak is scheduled to make his return to competition for the first in over a year.
He is entered in six events this week including the men’s 200 butterfly, where he is the world record holder. He is also entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, and 100 fly. The meet starts tomorrow, and Milak is scheduled to race two events, the 100 free and 200 fly.
The last time Milak raced was at the 2025 Hungarian Championships, where he won the 100 free (48.76) and 200 fly (1:56.13) and finished 2nd in the 50 fly (23.43) and 100 fly (50.67).
He qualified for Hungary’s World Championships team, but ended up withdrawing from the meet due to lack of training and motivation.
In December, reports emerged that he was issued an ultimatum to return to “regular in-water training” or his club would withdraw their financial support. Shortly after that, Milak affirmed his plans to race in Los Angeles at the 2028 Olympic Games.
Hungary’s major international meet this summer is the 2026 European Championships in Paris this August.
There are a number of other major Hungarian swimmers racing this week, but notably absent from the start lists is Olympic and World Championship medalist Hubert Kos.
Other notable athlete entries:
- Zalan Sarkany, who is fresh off the NCAA season, is entered in the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyle.
- Dora Molnar, a World Championships finalist in the 200 back, is entered in the 100 free, 200 free, 50 back, 100 back, and 200 back.
- Gabor Zombori, who finished 6th in the 400 IM at the World Championships, is entered in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.
- Vivien Jackl will be swimming her first major race since splitting from coach Shane Tusup after a disappointing summer and returning to former coach Marta Kocsis. She is entered in the 800 free, 1500 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 400 IM.
He proved to be a great butterflier but the world will remember him as a evil human being. That’s the only thing he focuses on lately is to inflict maximum damage
Does he have the drive and motivation any more?
Maybe the risk of loosing financial support will motivate him to refocus (do not know what type of support he is receiving)?
If he is entered, he will swim. It’s Euros I’m not at all sure about.
If there is anything he is going to bother with it’s Worlds 2027.
I’ll believe it when I see it
Yeah heard this one before. 5% chance he swims here IMO
Perhaps the loss to Marchand will motivate him for this cycle.
Didn’t seem to help last year. In fact, he seemed to say (according to his coaches) that because his times were slower than Marchand’s time, that he wasn’t going to bother. Of course, Marchand didn’t even swim the 200 Fly at the Worlds. And he hasn’t said if he’s going to swim it at Europeans, either. I think he’s raced the 200 Fly one time since the Olympics?
Who knows. Phelps still retired after losing to Chad Le Clos in 2012, but that chip on his shoulder drove him to return to competition in 2014.
I’d love if after his swim career is over he does an interview or sit-down going over his highs and lows.
I wonder what the story is from his perspective with his old coach and training post Tokyo.
He’s def the type of guy to disappear from the swimming world never to be heard again when he retires
Though I hope, as is tradition, a series of his former coaches gives an interview every year or so where they call Milak a bum.
Except for his accomplishments as an individual Olympic gold medalist and WR holder. Not a bad way to go out.