Éva Gérard-Novák

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexFemale
Full nameÉva•Gérard-Novák
Used nameÉva•Gérard-Novák
Born8 January 1930 in Budapest, Budapest (HUN)
Died30 June 2005 in Bruxelles (Brussels), Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (BEL)
AffiliationsFerencvárosi TC, Budapest (HUN) / OlSC, Antwerpen (BEL)
NOC Belgium Hungary
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 2
Bronze 1
Total 4

Biography

Éva Novák’s strongest event was the 200 m breast stroke. She twice bettered the world record (1950-51), and won an Olympic bronze (1948) and silver (1952). At the 1952 Olympics, Novák also won a silver in the 200 m freestyle, and swam on the golden Hungarian relay team, together with her sister Ilona. In Helsinki, she also met a Belgian reporter, Pierre Gérard, who would become her husband. Novák moved to Brussels to study medicine, and started swimming for Belgium. Her last Olympic participation was for that country, and she also won eight Belgian titles (compared to 33 Hungarian titles). Éva Novák was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1973, together with her sister. She was unable to return to her birth country until after the fall of the iron curtain.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1948 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) HUN Éva Novák
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women (Olympic) Hungary DNS
200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) 3 Bronze
1952 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) HUN Éva Novák
400 metres Freestyle, Women (Olympic) 2 Silver
4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women (Olympic) Hungary 1 Gold
200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) 2 Silver
1956 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) BEL Éva Gérard-Novák
200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) 11

Olympic family relations

Special Notes