http://fina-budapest2017.com/en/news/139/anna-olasz-america-is-the-land-of-opportunity-for-swimmers-as-well
Anna Olasz: America is the land of
opportunity for swimmers as well
2016.09.30. 14:44 CET
Anna Olasz thinks Liliána Szilágyi’s decision to become a student of the University of Florida
(Gators) from January 2017 is a right one.
Anna Olasz thinks Liliána Szilágyi’s decision to become a student of the University of Florida
(Gators) from January 2017 is a right one. Plenty of Hungarian swimmers have studied at
American universities in the last couple of years and decades, like Olympic champions
Ágnes Kovács, Katinka Hosszú and Attila Czene. World and European champion marathon
swimmer Anna Olasz has been the student of Arizona State University since 2013.
„I spoke to Liliána right after her decision, and I agreed with her” – Olasz said to Bp2017
Media. „It’s a big change in one’s life, my case was no exception either, but I don’t feel sorry
about it. If you have a chance like that you have to make the best of it. The new atmosphere,
impulses and the mentality of the Americans all have a positive effect on you.”
Olasz is of the opinion that in Hungary a swimmer starts in too many competitions, and
he/she always wants to be better than the others, and that leads to conflicts. In the USA,
however, the team members are together all year, they motivate each other, so the
atmosphere is great.
„Of course you have to work a lot in the States as well, success doesn’t come from itself, but
the new environment helps you a lot to overcome the difficulties.”
So the general aspect is positive, but are there any disadvantages of studying and swimming
overseas?
„Since you are committed to a university, you have to stay there from August to March, you
are not allowed to go home and take part in competitions whenever you want. That’s why I
can’t start in the seventh leg of the Marathon Swimming World Cup in Hong Kong in
October, but apart from this I only see advantages” – Olasz added.