Zoltán Csányi

Zoltán Csányi was a versatile sportsman. In athletics, he competed for Budapesti Budai Torna Egylet (BBTE) (1930-1931), TFSC (1932-1934), and Magyar Athletic Club (1935-1944). He won national championships in 1935 and 1936 in decathlon, in 1937 in shot put, and in 1938 and 1944 in pole vaulting. He competed at the Berlin Olympics in decathlon, but was injured in the javelin, and did not finish.

As a student at the College of Physical Education, in addition to athletics, Ccányi also played basketball, helping them won a championship in 1935. This success was repeated in 1941/1942 as a player-coach for Budapesti Egyetemi Atlétikai Club (BEAC). In addition to BEAC, he also played for Postás, MAFC and Honvéd, and 16 times with the Hungarian national team, helping Hungary finish third at the 1935 World University Championships. At the European Championships he played on teams finishing ninth in 1935 and seventh in 1939.

Csányi was also a coach of the Hungarian basketball team in their heyday of the 1950s and served as national team head coach in 1957. During and after this period with the national team, he worked as a coach on several teams in the Hungarian first division and won five championships.

In 1942, Csányi obtained a diploma at the College of Physical Education. Between 1942 and 1950 he was a secondary school teacher, then from 1951 he was a physical education teacher and then a head of department at the Budapest University of Veterinary Medicine.

Personal Best: Dec – 5912 (1935).