Famous Jewish athletes and sports leaders
in Hungary

Every week, Maccabi VAC presents a Hungarian Jewish athlete, sports leader, pruner, coach, who played a decisive role in Hungarian and universal sports.

István SÁRKÁNY

(1913-2009) 

Gymnast, coach, sports leader 

The Turda-born “Dragon” graduated in Budapest in 1934. His first wife was his pupil, the five-time Olympic champion and most successful athlete of Jewish descent, gymnast Ágnes Keleti.  István Sárkány started his career as a gymnast in 1927 in the Workers’ Bodybuilding Association, then transferred to the Fencing and Athletics Club in 1930, but did not stay for long, as he returned to MTE and eventually ended his active gymnastics career in Budapest in 1951. His outstanding results: he finished 5th in the World Championship team, as well as 40th in the individual composite at the 1934 World Championships. He won a gold medal at the national championship on the double bars, silver on the stretcher bars. This was followed by the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where his team finished 7th and he finished 64th in the individual standings. In 1959, he obtained a diploma in physical education as a teacher and coach, and in 1961 he became a master trainer. After his retirement, he worked as the Secretary General of the Hungarian Gymnastics Association. It is thanks to him that the competitive structure of sports acrobatics and rhythmic gymnastics was organized into an independent sport. After 1968, he served as coach of the youth national team. Prior to his retirement, he worked as a senior teacher at the State Acrobatforming Vocational and Technical School.