Hungary: A Small Country Making Big Waves at the Olympics!

Hey there, sports fans! The Paris Olympics is making a huge hit this summer, but do you know which country has been quietly dominating the Olympic medal standings for years: Hungary!

Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Hungary? Isn’t that the place with the delicious goulash and thermal baths?” Well, yes, but they’re also a powerhouse when it comes to winning Olympic hardware!

Get this: Hungary currently ranks 2nd in the world for Olympic gold medals per capita, with an impressive 19.2 golds per 1 million people! That’s like every other person you meet on the streets of Budapest has an Olympic gold medal hanging around their neck. Okay, maybe not quite, but you get the idea.

And it’s not just about the golds. When we look at the total medals won per million citizens, Hungary takes the bronze, right behind the tiny nations of San Marino and Finland. Not too shabby for a country that’s never even hosted the Summer Olympics!

So, what’s the secret to Hungary’s Olympic success? Is it something in the goulash? Well, it turns out that Hungarians have a knack for excelling in sports like fencing, swimming, and canoeing. They’re also the top dogs in pentathlon and water polo events. Who knew?

Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “But wait, what about the Winter Olympics?” And you’re right, Hungary hasn’t exactly been setting the snow on fire in the winter events. But hey, you can’t be good at everything, right? Leave some medals for the other countries, Hungary!

As we gear up for the Paris 2024 Olympics, you can bet that Hungarian athletes will be ready to bring their A-game once again. So, if you’re in Budapest during the games, head on over to the Városháza pop-up park, where they’ll have a giant screen set up for everyone to cheer on their favorite athletes. Margaret Island also opened a cool place called Sportgarden in Budapest, where you can follow the games and learn a bunch of cool things about the Olympics.

In the meantime, let’s all raise a glass of pálinka (that’s Hungarian fruit brandy, for the uninitiated) and toast to Hungary’s incredible Olympic achievements! Here’s to many more years of goulash, thermal baths, and shiny medals!

Image source: Visit Budapest Facebook Page