Gábor Kucsera is a 27-year-old double world champion flatwater kayaker. He’s a whizz on the world’s waterways, but why should the Hungarian try especially hard not to capsize his craft when he visits Australia? Let’s find out.
1) His first major success was a Pole position: “My first adult success came in 2004 with Honvéd Sailing Club at the European Championships in Poznan, Poland, where I won the gold medal!”
2) His first world title victory went off with a bang: “When I won the first world championship of my life, in Zagreb in 2005, my mum came up to me with a birthday cake with a small firework on it!”
Daniel Kralik/Red Bull Photofiles
3) He don’t need no education… for a while, anyway: “I gave up my study at Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sport [in Budapest] to focus on kayaking. I plan to finish school after the 2012 London Olympic Games.”
4) He wants to go fourth (sic) and conquer: “At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, I ended in fourth position, which I am taking as encouragement to reach the top in the London 2012 competition. My biggest goal in life is to become Olympic champion in K1!”
5) Like other top-class Central European kayakers (see ‘Vavrinec Hradilek’, ‘Czech cuisine’ and ‘burgers’), Gábor isn’t just a salad or yogurt man: “My favourite food is bread-coated fried cheese.”
6) He expresses himself in unconventional ways: “I express my creativity with my tattoos – and also when I play with my goddaughter and nephew.”
Petra Karstedt/www.Tiermotive.de
7) His dream location is also home to something he dreads: “My favourite place in the world is Australia’s Gold Coast – although I’m afraid of snakes!” [The Gold Coast area boasts about 10 venomous land snakes, including the Death Adder (pictured) and six poisonous sea snakes… brrr!]
8) His kayak is not his only pride and joy: “I spent a fortune on my car – it’s a BMW 730d.”
9) His taste in music has a rocky past (and present, and future): “I like all kinds of music, but, before races, the song from the movie Rocky III [Eye of the Tiger by Survivor] is the one!”
10) He generally takes things as they come, though he makes an exception with his career: “I live for today and don’t plan ahead too much – except for kayaking!”
Check out Gábor's official website (please note that this is in Hungarian).
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