Zoltán Magyar

Who is Zoltán Magyar?

Zoltán Magyar was the premier pommel horse gymnast in the world in the 1970s. Magyar had two moves named after him, the Magyar spindle and the Magyar travel.

Magyar finished his career with two Olympic, three world, three European and two World Cup titles on his specialty.

He won the Olympic gold in 1976 and 1980; world championships gold in 1974, 1978 and 1979; European championships gold in 1973, 1975 and 1977; and World Cup gold in 1975 and 1978. His largest margin of victory came at the 1978 World Championships, which he won by 0.375 points. For his achievements he was named Hungarian Sportsman of the year in 1974, 1978 and 1980.

In major all-around competitions, Magyar was ubiquitous but less successful. In Olympic all-around finals, he placed 29th in 1972, ninth in 1976 and ninth in 1980. In world championship all-arounds, he was 15th in 1974, 12th in 1978 and 18th in 1979.

Magyar retired following the 1980 Olympics. Since his departure, he has focused on his lifelong goal as a veterinarian. He currently operates a vet hospital and still resides in Budapest.