Blanka Guzi, a fourth-year student of the sport and recreation management course at the Hungarian University of Sports Science (TF) took the fourth place in the women's individual pentathlon competition at the Paris Olympics. She says she bet everything on the Games.
Blanka Guzi, a fourth-year student of the sport and recreation management course at the Hungarian University of Sports Science (TF) managed to grab the fourth place in the women's individual pentathlon competition at the Paris Olympics.
In the last event of the competition, which was laser-run, she did extremely well, missing the podium by only seven seconds.
"After the race, many people wanted to know if I had been satisfied with the fourth place, and I said no," recalls Blanka, who is currently on a well-deserved four-week holiday. "I was very confident that I could win a medal. But if you look at it from the point of view that it was my childhood dream to go to the Olympics, I can be satisfied. Nevertheless, I remain 'hungry' for a medal, and I hope that I will be given the chance to come home with a medal from one of the Olympics in the future."
Blanka has won a silver medal at the European and World Championships in the individual event and a gold medal at the European and World Championships in the team’s event, so it's not surprising that she wants to add an Olympic medal to her collection.
"I still have a lot of progress to make to win a medal in four years' time, or even to reach the top at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Most of all, I need to improve my fencing and to bring the best out of myself during the competitions regarding professional and technical skills. I also hope that I will be able to compete in the obstacle course racing that has been selected to replace equestrian show jumping. I am fortunate to be among the best in the world in fencing and leaser-run, but I can still improve in these too."
She knows she still has a lot to learn mentally as well.
"Sometimes it's hard to control my emotions, but it's useful if you know how to handle good and bad. Both of my sports psychologists say I have improved a lot mentally over the past year. They encourage me a lot and tell me that they can see the results of my work and that I should believe in myself, that I belong among the best."
She has always liked learning and her goal is to have another foot to stand on that is not necessarily related to sport.
"Whatever happens, I would like to work in sport because I have developed a network in it. I like doing the sport and recreation management course at the university. When I started to prepare for the Olympics, my studies were legging behind because I had to prepare for the Olympic Games. I will soon return to uni and finish the thesis I have already started. I have a rough idea of what I want to work, but that's still undecided because I'm going to focus on competitive sport for the next few years and aim for the next Olympics."
Photo by Csaba Dömötör
