Ágnes Keleti

Ágnès Keleti (born 1921 in Budapest, Hungary) was an artistic gymnast. She earned 10 Olympic medals, winning the first at age 31 and the last at age 35. She was born of Jewish parents. She began gymnastics at age 4 and at 16 she won the first of her 10 Hungarian National titles.

In 1937 Ágnès was focused on the 1940 Summer Olympics (which were not held due to World War Two which broke out in 1939). What become apparent, however, was that her biggest challenge would be avoiding persecution by the Nazis. See WWII Hungary

As war descended on Europe, her father was sent to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, while her mother and sister went into hiding. Her mother and sister were found and sent to another concentration camp. Ágnès was able to buy false documents from a Christian girl and she escaped to a remote Hungarian village where she found work as a maid. After the war she leanred that her mother and sister had survived the concentration camps but, her father and extended family hadn't.

Despite the horrors of war, Ágnès still had her passion for gymnastics. Injury did not allow her to compete in the 1948 Olympics but, she went to the 1952 Olympics. Ágnès was 31 in 1952 and because of her age she took a relaxed approach. She surprised everybody (most notably herself) by taking out Gold on Floor, Bronze on Uneven Bars and the Silver in the Teams event.

She performed well in the event finals at the 1954 World Championships, picking up a gold on the uneven bars and bronze on BB. She finished fourth on floor, just short of a medal. Four years later, in 1956 and at age of thirty-five, Ágnès returned to the Olympics to win 6 more medals. While in Melbourne, Australia, 200,000 Soviet troops invaded Hungary to squash their Revolution against Soviet dominance. See 1956 Hungarian Revolution

Upon hearing the news, over half of the Hungary Olympic delegation, Ágnès included, refused to leave Melbourne. Ágnès was lucky in that she was able to get her mother and sister out of Hungary. They joined her in Australia but, after several months the family immigrated to Israel where they were granted citizenship.

As of 1995, Ágnès was living and coaching gymnastics just outside of Tel-Aviv.

External Links

• Photograph of her on the Uneven Bars, 1956 Melbourne Olympics