Olympic History – Hajos Turns Tragedy Into Glory in the Water

Hungarian architecture student Alfréd Hajos was the undisputed star of the swimming events at the 1896 Games. Born Alfréd Guttman and raised in Budapest, his prowess in the water had its roots in tragedy. He determined to become a good swimmer at the age of 13 after his father drowned in the River Danube. He later changed his surname to Hajós which means “sailor” in Hungarian.

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