Balazs Fürjes, the Hungarian member of the International Olympic Committee, said on public television on Sunday that the Hungarian team at the Olympic Games in Paris has “stood its ground in a tough competition."
Hungary’s athletes have won six gold, seven silver, and six bronze medals, finishing in 14th place, Fürjes told news channel M1 on the closing day of the Games. Fürjes acknowledged the team’s performance and thanked the fans for their support in Paris. Although the team didn’t bring home the same number of golds as earlier in sports such as canoeing and kayaking, water polo or wrestling, there were “surprises”, too, such as in Taekwondo, he said. Noting the uproar over the opening ceremony, Fürjes said the event should have been “free of offense” and observed “mutual respect as a fundamental value”. Fürjes said he would initiate a review of rules on equal opportunity for female athletes to ensure that competitors “with male-type chromosomes” could not compete with women “as happened in women’s boxing”. Fürjes said he was confident that Hungary could host an Olympic event similar to that in Paris. “It would take a huge effort, but the most important thing would be the need for solidarity, which is why I am a bit sceptical,” he added. He said “full agreement” on the matter between the Hungarian Olympic Committee, the mayor and municipal council of Budapest, the political parties, the government or the nation in general was “not yet apparent”. “If they could come together and put aside their differences on this issue, accord could be reached and we would have a shot at hosting the next European Olympics in Hungary,” he said.