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Balázs Gercsák

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Balázs Gercsák
Personal information
Full nameBalázs Gercsák
National team Hungary
Born (1986-10-14) 14 October 1986 (age 38)
Budapest, Hungary
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight70 kg (150 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubJövő SC (HUN)
College teamUniversity of Florida (U.S.)
CoachGábor Poszgai (HUN)

Balázs Gercsák (born 14 October 1986) is a Hungarian swimmer, who specialized in freestyle events.[1] Gercsak is a former member of the Florida Gators, and a graduate of digital media productions at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He is also the brother of open water swimmer Csaba Gercsák, who won the bronze medal in the 25 km marathon at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China.[2]

Gercsak made his first Hungarian team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he competed in the men's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, along with his teammates Balázs Makány, Tamás Szűcs, and four-time Olympian Tamás Kerékjártó. Swimming the second leg in heat two, Gercsak recorded a split of 1:54.03, but the Hungarians rounded out the field to last place and sixteenth overall with a final time of 7:31.78.[3]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Gercsak competed as an individual swimmer in the men's 400 m freestyle. Leading up to his second Games, he posted a lifetime best and FINA B-standard entry time of 3:52.21 at the Hungarian National Trials in Budapest.[4] He challenged six other swimmers on the second heat, including Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis, Switzerland's Dominik Meichtry, and South Africa's Jean Basson. Gercsak finished his heat in sixth place by more than a second behind Basson with a time of 3:54.14. Gercsak, however, failed to advance into the final, as he placed thirty-second overall in the preliminary heats.[5]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Balázs Gercsák". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Saluki swimmer takes Bronze medal at World Swimming Championships". Southern Illinois Salukis. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  3. ^ "Men's 4×200m Freestyle Heat 2". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 17 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Gator Men's Profiles: Balázs Gercsák" (PDF). Florida Gators. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Men's 400m Freestyle Heat 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.