Danuta Kozák (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈdɒnutɒ ˈkozaːk]; born 11 January 1987) is a Hungarian sprint canoeist. She has won one silver, one bronze and six Olympic gold medals, three of which in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, making her the first female to win K1, K2 and K4 at the same Olympics (a record equalled in 2024 by Dame Lisa Carrington). At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal in Women's K-4 500 metres, and bronze medal in Women's K-2 500 metres.[1]

Danuta Kozák
Personal information
NationalityHungarian
Born (1987-01-11) 11 January 1987 (age 37)
Budapest, Hungary
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
CountryHungary
SportSprint kayak
ClubKSI (1996–08)
Bp. Honvéd (2009–12)
Újpesti TE (2013–20)
Ferencvárosi TC (2021– )
Coached byBéla Somogyi
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 6 1 1
World Championships 15 3 2
European Championships 17 8 1
European Games 3 3 1
Total 41 15 5
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2012 London K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo K-2 500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Dartmouth K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2009 Dartmouth K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2010 Poznań K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Szeged K-2 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Szeged K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Duisburg K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Duisburg K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Duisburg K-1 4×200 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Moscow K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Moscow K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Milan K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2021 Copenhagen K-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2011 Szeged K-1 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Milan K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Copenhagen K-4 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Duisburg K-2 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Szeged K-1 500 m
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Baku K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2015 Baku K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2019 Minsk K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk K-1 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk K-1 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2019 Minsk K-2 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Baku K-1 200 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Pontevedra K-2 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 2008 Milan K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2008 Milan K-4 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2009 Brandenburg K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2010 Trasona K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Belgrade K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Belgrade K-2 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Brandenburg K-1 200 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Brandenburg K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Brandenburg K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow K-2 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moscow K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Belgrade K-1 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Belgrade K-4 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2021 Poznań K-2 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2008 Milan K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2009 Brandenburg K-1 4×200 m
Silver medal – second place 2010 Trasona K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2011 Belgrade K-4 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2012 Zagreb K-1 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 500 m
Silver medal – second place 2018 Belgrade K-1 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Poznań K-1 500 m
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Zagreb K-4 500 m

Career

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Kozák has competed since the late 2000s. She won a silver medal in the K-4 500 m event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Kozák then won a gold medal at the London Olympics in the Kayak Four (K4) 500m team event with Gabriella Szabó, Katalin Kovács and Krisztina Fazekas Zur for Hungary. She also won the gold medal in the Kayak Single (K1) 500m.[2] She won three gold medals in the Kayak Single (K1) 500m, Kayak Pairs (K2) 500m and Kayak Four (K4) 500m at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; a feat compounded with her reeling from a stomach infection one day before the events.[3] The latter results made her the most successful Hungarian sprint canoer and the only female athlete to win K1, K2 and K4 at the same Olympics.

Kozák has also won eighteen medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with fourteen golds (K-1 500 m: 2013, 2014, 2018; K-2 200 m: 2011; K-2 500 m: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018; K-4 500 m: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018 and K-1 200 m relay: 2013), two silvers (K-1 500 m: 2011 and K-4 500 m: 2015) and two bronzes (K-1 500 m: 2019, K-2 1000 m: 2007).

Awards

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  • Junior Príma award (2008)
  • KSI SE – Athlete of Year (2008)
  • Hungarian kayaker of the Year (5): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
  • Perpetual champion of Hungarian Kayak-Canoe (2011)
  • Honorary Citizen of Budapest (2012)
  • Honorary Citizen of Újpest (2016)
Orders and special awards

Personal life

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Her mother is of Polish descent.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Canoe Sprint - KOZAK Danuta". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Kozak of Hungary wins gold in women's K-1 500". The Times Of India. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Így gyógyították meg Kozákot". Origo.hu (in Hungarian). 18 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Danuta Kozak (HUN) K1W 500m". Magazine.CanoeICF.com. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016.
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Awards
Preceded by Hungarian Sportswoman of The Year
2018
Succeeded by