Elemér Szathmáry

Elemér Szathmáry began his swimming career as a student at Árpád Gymnasium and later competed for the FTC from the age of 14. In 1943 and 1945 Szathmáry won five national relay championships as a competitor for the UTE. He first represented the national team in 1947. At the European Championships in Monte Carlo, he won bronze medals in the 100 metres freestyle and the 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay. In the same year, he became the world college champion in Paris with the relay and finished second in the 100 metres freestyle. At the 1948 London Olympics he won a silver medal in the 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay.

When his competitions were over Szathmáry was watching the preliminaries of the 400 metres freestyle women’s race on his day off when he noticed that one of the swimmers was sinking. He immediately jumped into the pool, fully clothed, and rescued the dizzy Dane Greta Andersen, who had previously won the Olympic 100 metres freestyle championship.

After the Olympics in 1948 Szathmáry left Hungary and settled in Australia where he competed for a short time. He died young at the age of 45 when he collapsed in a park, lying unconscious for hours and dying shortly after being taken to the hospital.