Mihály Deák-Bárdos

Mihály Deák-Bárdos

Personal information
Nationality	Hungary
Born	30 January 1975 Miskolc, Hungary
Height	195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	120 kg (265 lb)
Sport
Sport	Wrestling
Style	Greco-Roman
Club	DVTK (2009- )[1] Vasas SC (2001-2008) Kecskeméti TE (2000) Szegedi BE (1996-2000) Diósgyőri BC ( -1996)
Coach	Attila Repka[1]
Medal record Men's Greco-Roman wrestling Representing  Hungary World Championships 1997 Wrocław 130 kg 2001 Patras 130 kg 2002 Moscow 120 kg 2003 Créteil 120 kg 2005 Budapest 120 kg European Championships 2001 Istanbul 130 kg 2002 Seinäjoki 120 kg 2003 Belgrade 120 kg 2000 Moscow 130 kg 2009 Vilnius 120 kg 2011 Dortmund 120 kg

Mihály Deák-Bárdos (born 30 January 1975) is a Hungarian amateur Greco-Roman wrestler, who played for the men's super heavyweight category.^[2][1] He is a four-time Olympian, and a six-time medalist at the European Championships. Deák-Bárdos had also won a total of five silver medals at the World Championships, losing out to numerous top-level wrestlers including Alexander Karelin, Rulon Gardner, Khasan Baroyev, and Mijaín López, all of whom were Olympic champions in the same division.

Wrestling career

Born in Miskolc Deák-Bárdos emerged as one of Hungary's most prominent wrestlers in its sporting history. He first competed at the 1993 European Youth Wrestling Championships in Götzis, Austria, where he finished in fourth place, for the 110 kg division. In 1997, Deák-Bárdos achieved his earliest success in wrestling, when he won the silver medal against three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin at the World Championships in Wrocław, Poland. After Karelin's retirement in 2000, Deák-Bárdos continued to build success in wrestling by capturing four medals for the super heavyweight division (120–130 kg) at the European Championships, including his first ever gold from Moscow. He managed to repeat his silver medal streak at the World Championships, when he lost the final match to United States' Rulon Gardner (2001) and Dremiel Byers (2002), and to Russia's Khasan Baroyev (2003), who succeeded Karelin to become an Olympic champion in 2004.^[3][4]

Between 2005 and 2007, Deák-Bárdos, however, suffered numerous setbacks in his sporting career. He lost for the fourth time to Cuba's Mijaín López at the 2005 World Wrestling Championships, coincidentally in his home city, and placed farther from the medal podium at the European Championships. In 2008, Deák-Bárdos recaptured his success in super heavyweight wrestling, after winning the silver medal for his team at the World Wrestling Cup in Szombathely. He also added two bronze medals at the European Championships in Vilnius and in Dortmund.^[5]

Olympic games

In addition to his numerous achievements at both the World and European championships, Deák-Bárdos became the first Hungarian wrestler to compete in four consecutive Olympic games since Imre Polyák did so in 1964. He made his official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he competed in the men's 130 kg class. He placed second in the preliminary pool against Bulgarian wrestler and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Sergei Mureiko and Russia's Alexander Karelin, who previously defeated him at the World Championships three years before, finishing overall in eleventh position.^[6][7]

After Karelin's retirement from his fourth Olympics, Deák-Bárdos' medal chances became more open by qualifying for the 120 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Once again, he repeated his position in the preliminary pool this time, against Finland's four-time Olympian Juha Ahokas and Iran's Sajjad Barzi, who eventually lost to defending Olympic champion Rulon Gardner in the bronze medal bout.^[8][9]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Deák-Bárdos reached the second preliminary round of the 120 kg class, by easily defeating Canadian wrestler Ari Taub, with a score of 6–2.^[10][11] He lost to France's Yannick Szczepaniak, who was able to score one technical point each in the second par terre during the first and final period of the match.^[12]

Deák-Bárdos qualified again for the super heavyweight division at his fourth Olympics in London, after placing fifth from the 2011 World Wrestling Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.^[13] He first defeated China's Liu Deli in the qualifying round, before losing out his next match to Sweden's Johan Eurén, who eventually won the bronze medal in this event.^[14]

References

1. "Mihály Deák-Bárdos". London 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
2. "Mihály Deák-Bárdos". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
3. Staff and Wire Reports (10 December 2001). "Overtime: Lakeside places fourth in meet". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
4. "Gardner finally healthy as he tries for repeat". ESPN. 15 July 2004. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
5. Cullen, Jessica (4 April 2011). "Russia wins two Greco-Roman titles at European Championships". USA Wrestling (The Mat). Retrieved 17 December 2012.
6. ""King" Karelin en route to fourth Olympic crown". Sports Illustrated (CNN). 25 September 2000. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
7. "Sydney 2000: Wrestling – Super Heavyweight Greco-Roman (130kg)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. pp. 111–112. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
8. "Men's Greco-Roman 120kg 1st Round". Sports Illustrated. CNN. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
9. "Wrestling: Men's Greco-Roman 120kg". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
10. "Men's Greco-Roman 120kg (264.5 lbs) Round of 16 Final Official". NBC Olympics. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
11. "Canadian wrestler Ari Taub loses bout". The Star (Canada). 14 August 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
12. "Men's Greco-Roman 120kg (264.5 lbs) Quarterfinal Official". NBC Olympics. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
13. Abbott, Gary (9 July 2012). "2012 Olympic Games preview at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in Greco-Roman". USA Wrestling (The Mat). Retrieved 17 December 2012.
14. "Men's 120kg Greco-Roman Round of 16 Final Official". London 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.

External links

• Profile – International Wrestling Database
• NBC Olympics Profile