Tokyo, Yoyogi National Gymnasium, October 1964: the Hungarian team, winners of the water polo competition, in action at the Games of the XVIII Olympiad. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum CollectionsOther names: GYARMATI, Dezs?
Born: 23 October 1927
Birthplace: Miskolc (Hungary)
Nationality: Hungary
Sport: Aquatics
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
London 1948
Helsinki 1952
Melbourne / Stockholm 1956
Rome 1960
Tokyo 1964
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 3
Silver: 1
Bronze: 1
Other results:
European Championships
Gold: 2 (54,62)
The Greatest Water Polo Player
Deszo Gyarmati is considered the greatest water poloist of all-time. His feat of winning water polo medals at five successive Olympic Games (gold 1952, 1956, 1964; silver 1948; bronze 1960) has never been matched. He also captained winning Hungarian teams at the 1954 and 1962 European Championships. An excellent swimmer with a best time of 58.5 seconds for 100m (quite fast in that era), Gyarmati was called the "world's fastest water polo player". He was ambidextrous and could play either back or forward. Gyarmati was considered a Hungarian national hero. He coached the Hungarian team that won the Olympic title in 1976 and later became a member of Parliament. He married the 1952 Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, Eva Székely. Their daughter, Andrea, was an Olympic silver medalist in the 100m backstroke in 1972 and she later married Mihaly Hesz, the 1968 Olympic canoeing champion.
