Béla Rajki

Béla Rajki-Reich (February 2, 1909 – July 20, 2000) was a Hungarian swimming coach and water polo coach.[1][2]

Contents

Early life

Rajki, who was Jewish, was born in Budapest.[1] He was a swimmer and a water polo player early in his life.[1] He received coaching diplomas in swimming and diving, and was a lecturer at the Hungarian College of Physical Education and Sports.[1]

Swimming and water polo coaching career

With Béla Komjádi, he helped make Hungary a world-dynasty in water polo.[1][2][3] From 1948–67 he was director of Hungary's National Sport Swimming Pool, and from 1947–73 he was technical director and national coach of the Hungarian Swimming and Water Polo Teams.[1][2]

He was head coach of the Hungarian 1948 Olympic Swimming Team, which won a gold medal (Eva Novak; 200m breaststroke).[1] He coached the country's swimming and water polo Olympic teams of 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.[1] His water polo team won a gold medal, and four swimmers won a gold medal.[1] In 1956, he coached the water polo team which won a gold medal, and the team won a silver medal in 1972 at the Munich Olympics.[1][2][4]

He was a Bureau member of Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) from 1952 to 1960, and a FINA vice president from 1960 to 1964.[1][5] He was also a member of the International Water Polo Board from 1952 to 1964 (Chairman from 1960 to 1964).[1] In 1996, at age 86, he was still a member of the Hungarian Olympic Committee.[1][2]

Publications and honors

He authored The Techniques of Competitive Swimming (1956), Water Polo (1958), and Teaching to Swim, Learning to Swim (1978).[1] He also wrote over 250 articles and periodical studies in the sport.[1][2]

The International Swimming Hall of Fame honored him in 1996.[1][6] He was also inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Bela Rajki (HUN) – 1996 Honor Contributor". ISHOF. http://www.ishof.org/Honorees/96/96brajki.html. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Bela Rajki-Reich". Jewishsports.net. http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/BelaRajki-Reich.htm. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  3. ^ Anna Szalai (2002). In the land of Hagar: the Jews of Hungary: history, society and culture. http://books.google.com/books?id=RcVtAAAAMAAJ&q=B%C3%A9la+Rajki&dq=B%C3%A9la+Rajki&hl=en&ei=PbdJTpSZEuLy0gGKwIXrBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFEQ6AEwCQ. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Water Polo". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. November 19, 1956. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1128529/index.htm. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  5. ^ "Technical Water Polo Committee". Fina.org. http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=109&Itemid=392. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  6. ^ Sharon Robb (March 17, 1996). "Edgar Gets Well-Deserved Spot In Hall". Sun Sentinel. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/15002173.html?dids=15002173:15002173&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+17%2C+1996&author=SHARON+ROBB&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=EDGAR+GETS+WELL-DESERVED+SPOT+IN+HALL&pqatl=google. Retrieved August 16, 2011. 
  7. ^ Brian Berk (August 5, 1996). "Strug Earns Hall-of-Fame Honors". Jewish Post. http://www.jewishpost.com/archives/news/strug-earns-hall-of-fame-honors.html. Retrieved August 16, 2011.