Pál Gömöry

Pál Gömöry spent his summer vacations at Lake Balaton, so he always wanted to sail, but he only had the opportunity to do so at age 18. In 1954 he started in the Pirate ship class, but soon switched to Flying Dutchman. For two consecutive years, he was a silver medalist in the youth championship. As a senior, he first sailed along his younger brother, Peter, and in 1958 they became champions in Hungary. In 1961 and 1962, he won two championships with a new partner György Lugosy. From 1965 he continued with Szabolcs Izsák and they also won two championship titles (1965, 1967). At the European Championships they finished fifth in 1967 and eighth in 1968. They also competed at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where they finished 21st.

After the Olympics Gömöry switched to the Dragon class and then in the early 80s to Soling, also becoming a champion in this class in 1983. Starting in 1957 he always participated at the prestigious Blue Ribbon Race at Lake Balaton, finishing second in 1983, and in 1989 he won the lake bypass competition with Tramontana.

In 1957 Gömöry obtained a degree in chemistry from Eötvös Loránd University. Until his retirement, he worked as an assistant professor at the Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, and then became an entrepreneur. One of his most important research areas was the production and use of humic acid, which is important in agriculture and soil management. Sailors also saw the benefits of his chemical science, as he helped with special paints, experimenting with various synthetic resins even before these materials were generally available.

In addition to his work, Gömöry worked for the Hungarian Sailing Association, chairing the training committee and was a member of the board. In the first half of the 1990s, he was a member of the General Assembly of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, representing his sport, and was also a part of the period of democratic elections in 1989.