SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent polls asked SwimSwam readers what the top accomplishment of Katinka Hosszu‘s legendary career was after she retired last week:
Question: What was the top achievement in Katinka Hosszu‘s career?
RESULTS
- Rio 2016: 3 gold, 1 silver & 400 IM WR – 40.6%
- World Cup dominance / “Iron Lady” work ethic & versatility – 30.1%
- Five straight Olympic appearances – 10.6%
- Breaking super-suited 200 IM WR that still stands – 10.2%
- 26 world titles (LC/SC combined) – 8.5%
Katinka Hosszu was one of the world’s best swimmers for more than a decade, but one week in August 2016 was the defining moment of her career.
After officially announcing her retirement last week, we asked SwimSwam readers what the biggest accomplishment of her career was, and her performance at the Rio Olympics in 2016 came out on top with more than 40% of votes.
Rio marked the fourth Olympic appearance of Hosszu’s career. She represented Hungary in 2004 as a 15-year-old, and then after placing 12th in the women’s 400 IM in 2008, her career really took off, winning the first world title of her career in 2009, claiming gold in the 400 IM in Rome.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, she came in as a medal hopeful in both women’s medley events, but ended up falling short, placing 4th in the 400 IM and 8th in the 200 IM, adding three and a half seconds in the 200 IM final relative to what she had done in the heats and semis.
Four years later, Hosszu came back with a vengeance.
Despite having established herself as the best female IMer in the world since London, including breaking the super-suited world record in the 200 IM in 2015, Hosszu needed to perform at the Olympics to be considered an all-time great, and she did just that in Rio.
She obliterated the world record in the 400 IM by more than two seconds in her first event of the meet, clocking 4:26.36 to win gold by nearly five seconds, and then she followed up by earning an upset gold medal in the 100 back and made it three-for-three in edging out Great Britain’s Siobhan Marie O’Connor in the 200 IM.
Hosszu came close to winning a fourth individual gold in Rio, but settled for silver in the 200 back, having been out-touched by American Maya DiRado by six one-hundredths.
Still, her four individual medals was more than any other swimmer at those Games, and what she did there was the biggest accomplishment of her career, according to 40.6% of readers.
Not too far behind in the poll, with over 30% of votes, was the legacy Hosszu leaves behind as the “Iron Lady,” the nickname she picked up as the swimmer who competed more often than anyone else and was wildly successful.
Hosszu’s versatility was never on display better than on the World Cup circuit, where she would take on mind-boggling schedules and somehow churn out blistering swims each time out. The now 35-year-old won the overall women’s World Cup title five straight times from 2012 through 2016, winning a total of 305 individual events during her career.
She also took on some daunting schedules at major championship meets, including racing in 11 individual events, a total of 26 races, over six days at the 2016 Short Course World Championships. She won seven gold and nine total medals at that meet.
The remaining three options were all very close in the poll.
Her longevity in making five straight Olympic teams and breaking the super-suited world record in the 200 IM (that still stands today) both received just over 10% of votes, while winning 26 world titles between short course and long course came in at 8.5%.
Competing in five-plus Olympics is rare, but not unheard of for swimmers, while that 200 IM world record is quickly becoming one of the oldest records on the books. Looking strictly at women’s long course world records, Hosszu’s 200 IM is the third-oldest, with Liu Zige‘s otherworldly 200 fly from 2009 and Sarah Sjostrom‘s 50 fly from 2014 the only two that were set prior to 2015.
Her 26 world titles between LC and SC appear to be the most among female swimmers in history, with Sjostrom next up with 20. Ryan Lochte has the most among all swimmers with 39 combined world titles, though 15 of those came in relays (and Hosszu has zero from relays).
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Who would be your fifth in the quarter century “starting five” for swimmers:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
I take issue with the fact Lochte is automatically included in the top 4. Most of the list vying for 5th have better individual Olympic results than Lochte does.
Adam Peaty deserves a spot on the list one of the most dominant swimmers in an event in history and basically undefeated from 2014-2021
My heart says Laszlo Cseh but ultimately I don’t think I can vote for someone with 0 Olympic gold. Went with Sjostrom
As much as my American bias wants me to pick Natalie Coughlin, I feel like Sarah Sjostrom has surpassed her the last couple years as the 5th best of this century. Caeleb and Leon have both had higher peaks, but not the longevity yet (though Leon will get that over the years).
The last 2 questions have been tough. This article was great on explaining why Hosszu had many great things about her career. Though my main waffling was between the 2016 Olympics and the Iron Lady reputation. I’m so glad I got to see her swim so much.
I had to spend some time looking at the looooooooong list of accomplishments for everyone in this next poll. Marchand I eliminated because of he’s still at the start of is career and you just never know what may happen. He’s current peak is phenomenal but so were the peaks of everyone else on that list and you just need more than 1 Olympics in this kind of company.
I ended up going… Read more »
I agree except for Marchand.
I was quite surprised myself that he was so high in the poll (until now) whereas he’s still at the start of his career
but his accomplishment in Paris justifies it.
Of course, in front of multi olympians or multi world competitions (short or long course) swimmers, he’s got still much to prove (in multiple wrs, world championships individual medals dominance …) but with four individual gold medals in one olympic games and even if he retires now, he will remain in the top of this list.
Some people said to me he was very lucky in Paris with a ‘underperformed’ Milak or Qin or ill
zsc but what matters is the result… Read more »
Can you ask an easier question next week? This is so hard!