Judit Maier-Orosz considers swimming to be her duty, she believes that she is nurturing her family traditions by doing so.
Cluj athletes who won four gold medals in the 80-84 age group at the Senior World Championships in Qatar achieved their latest success in breaststroke. Although he returns home from Doha satisfied with his excellent results, he regrets that he was disqualified from his favorite event, the 200-meter medley, under controversial circumstances. He dedicates his success to the memory of his family and to his city and nation.
Senior swimmer Judit Maier-Orosz was able to continue her streak of great results. Last fall, he played at the World Championships in Tokyo, and now he gave an outstanding performance at the recently concluded tournament in Qatar. In the category of 80-84-year-olds, he was able to win in four different events.
Although the senior world championships would traditionally be held every two years, just like the adult tournaments, due to the pandemic, this organization was also transformed. The senior competition traditionally always starts two weeks after the end of the World Cup, at the same venue. Judit Maier-Orosz was the oldest competitor among the World Cup participants, a ninety-year-old Chilean swimmer.
"I signed up for all the breaststroke events, I knew that breaststroke suited me best. The world record holder also competes in the same age group, but I expected that he would not come to an Arab country due to the nearby war, and he did. With a bit of luck, I managed to win the gold medals in these numbers”
– answered Maszol's question about her successes in Doha, adding that she competed in the 200- and 400-meter medley.
World champion swimmer: I couldn't wait to close my eyes at night and dream of home, Cluj
Regarding the latter, he said that it was the most difficult number in the competition, especially the butterfly. Despite his success, he was disappointed to be disqualified in his favorite event, the 200 medley.
"I started together with the 90-year-old competitor from Chile, they kept us on the starting stone for too long. After the caution, the whistle did not come in time, they pulled him away, and he jumped in before the start. Unwittingly, it also influenced me, I moved on the starting stone. Instead of blowing a race then, it was started and it went through, it was a management error"
- recalled Judit Orosz-Maier with a bitter taste, as she thought she had the gold before reaching the finish line.
After the incident, according to the Cluj-Napoca competitor, he fell into himself for a while, so he thought of the warning too late, since it could only have been submitted half an hour after the race. He was not particularly satisfied with other details of the organization either. It was disturbing to him that there were competitions in the pool with prizes being awarded. It was impossible to pay attention properly because of the noise and music.
The senior competitor prepares for the competitions in the Hațieganu park swimming pool in Cluj. You have managed to create a company where you are always welcomed. He goes three or four times a week, on the other days he tries to keep himself fresh by exercising in the morning.
According to him, competitive swimming requires an iron will at this age. Before training, he sometimes crosses his mind that he won't get up early that day, but in the end he always makes himself do it. He perceives the continuation of swimming as an obligation, with which he can also nurture his family traditions. He dedicates his success to the memory of his parents and sister, as well as to his city and nation.
"I can recommend people of all ages to get up from the armchair and move, as swimming also helps with thinking."
– the athlete recommended active movement to her contemporaries as well.
He also mentioned that the senior swimming club of the Universitatea was founded in Cluj last year, so he was able to enroll there as well. Until now, he swam in the colors of Debrecen, as his sister, twelve-time world champion at the senior level, who set seventeen world records, dr. Katalin Flóra-Orosz competed for the Hungarian team.
Regarding Judit Maier-Orosz's next competitions, she said that she would also like to swim in the Romanian and Hungarian senior national championships in May. This year, he would also participate in the European Championship in Serbia, he is taking a break during the Olympics, as he wants to watch it from his armchair.
Featured image: Judit Maier-Orosz's private archive
