"Rome, I want only you" says Hungary's Verraszto
Despite Hungarian David Verraszto had achieved the required standard qualification time in the men's 400m medley to be part of the Magyar team at the world championships, he announced that he won't line up at Budapest 2022 to represent his country because he won't be in top condition by July. He then decided to focus his preparation for th European Aquatics Championships Roma 2022, with the swimming competition to be held from 11 to 17 August. In Budaperst it will be teammates Balázs Holló and Hubert Kós to be competing in the 400 medley in Budapest.
The three-time European champion (in Berlin, London and Glasgow in the 400 midley) is well familiar with the Foro Italico's pool, having competed in the Settecolli Swimming Trophy in 2011, 2013 and every year since 2016, always reaching the podium and setting a 400-medley personal best (4:07.47) in the 2017 edition.
David Verraszto - whose parents were former swimmers, with his father Zoltan who was 1975 world champion in the 200 backstroke and two-time Olympic medallist at Moscow 1980 - began swimming at the age of eight after trying other sports. The 400 medley is his favourite event, as he proved when he won silver at the world championships in Kazan and Budapest.
He represented Hungary at the Olympic Games in London and Rio, without any added medals to his haul. In Tokyo he finished fourth (4'10''59), just two tenths off the podium: "I could have done better. It's a huge increase on the last Olympics, but I deserved that two tenths chance.
During a period of time off from swimming he opened a café called Kaffeine in Budapest, which he owns together with his sister Evelyn - gold with the 4×200 freestyle at the european championships in Budapest and London.
In his freetime he enjoys watching his idol Conor McGregor's MMA fights and driving cars, performing at several car events in Hungary.
On 24 April, at the end of the Hungarian championships, compatriot Olympic medallist Katinka Hosszu published a post on her social media showing her swimming partner Zsuzsanna Jakabos and siblings Evelyn and David Verraszto: "We have been pushing this swimming industry together for 25 years! We have a lot of experience, we grew up together! Now we are the "oldest" Hungarian swimmers. Generation '89 '88." The Iron Lady was already a star in Rome at the 2009 world championships.
On 22 August, a day after the end of the European championships, Verraszto will be 34 years old and hopes to celebrate his birthday with great results.
