Hungarian Olympic canoe medalist Kolonics dies at 36

Hungarian Olympic canoe medalist Kolonics dies at 36

We were all shockt by the fact that two-time Olympic canoeing gold medalist, 15 times World Champion Gyorgy Kolonics died in sudden cardiac death after collapsing in his canoe during training. He was 36.

Kolonics won Olympic gold medals in the 500-meter canoe doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Games and in the 500-meter singles at the 2000 Sydney Games. He also won bronze in Atlanta in the 1,000-meter doubles race, teamed with Csaba Horvath, and in the same event at the 2004 Athens Games with Gyorgy Kozmann. Kolonics was training with Kozmann for the Beijing Games, which would have been his fifth Olympics!

We would like to express our deepest condolences to Kolonics family, to his trainer, teammates and his friend. Koló, RIP, your spirit will never be forgotten and will continue to live on in all of us!