Tokyo 2020: László Cseh and Aida Mohamed are the flag bearers at the opening ceremony

The Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) announced on Sunday the names of the flag bearers: they have decided that swimmer László Cseh and foil fencer Aida Mohamed will be the Hungarian flag bearers at the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Back in March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to break with tradition and allow having one female and one male athlete represent their country at the opening ceremony. They also encourage the member states to take this opportunity.

The MOB has acted accordingly and asked two Olympians with determining roles in their sports for this task.

László Cseh is preparing for his fifth Olympics and has returned home with medals from all of them.

He was not even 20 years old when he won bronze in Athens in 400 medley, followed by the memorable Beijing Olympics, where, if Michael Phelps “the extraterrestrial” weren't there, the Hungarian classic might have won three golds. Cseh finished behind the American icon in 200 butterfly, 200, and 400 medleys.

Four years later in London, he finished third in 200 medley.

In Rio, he was part of a sports historic moment that many people immediately remember about the 2016 Games. There was a three-way tie for second place in 100 butterfly with three of the world's leading figures in swimming, so Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos of South Africa, and László Cseh stood on the second step of the podium together.

Cseh is competing in the 200 medley in Tokyo and has already announced that his fifth Olympics will also be the last competition of his career.

"When it came up that I could be the flag bearer, I had to think about it. I've never attended an opening ceremony because the next day or the day after that I always competed in addition to not wanting to be in the spotlight. I've been thinking about it a lot, have talked it over with my wife, and I realized that it's such a huge honor that I accept the proposal. After the Olympics, I'm retiring from competitive swimming, so I'd love to swim in Tokyo with joy. My goal is to finish my career by doing my best for one last time," said László Cseh.

Aida Mohamed has been a member of the Hungarian Olympic team since Atlanta – she opened her Olympic appearance with a fourth place as a member of the foil team in 1996 as an athlete of Antal Solti (finished eighth in individual). She finished seventh in Sydney in the individual event and sixth with the team.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she finished fourth again, this time in the individual event. Four years later in Beijing, she was short of the podium once again but finished fourth as a member of the foil team. In both London and Rio, the second round of the individual competition meant the end for her.

"It's a great honor to be one of the flag bearers. I'm incredibly happy, I was in tears when I heard the news because this is one of the biggest things for an athlete. It's an uplifting feeling to walk through the stadium and know the whole world is watching us. I've competed in six Olympics so far, and I've been to almost every opening ceremony. There is a long wait until we get to march at the ceremony, but the cathartic feeling, once we walk into the packed stadium, makes up for everything. For me, the fact that I can be the flag bearer this time is the same as winning a gold medal. I'm preparing for my seventh Olympics with the same determination and excitement as I did the very first time," Mohamed Aida told olimpia.hu after the proposal.

Mohamed could participate in her seventh Olympics in Tokyo, but she will need a role in the team events as she travels to Japan as a substitute.

No Hungarian athlete has ever competed in seven Olympics. Saber fencer Aladár Gerevich and windsurfer Áron Gádorfalvi have competed in six Olympic Games.

List of flag bearers for Hungary at the Summer Olympics
1908, London: István Mudin (Athletics)
1912, Stockholm: Jenő Rittich (Gymnastics)
1924, Paris: Sándor Toldi (Athletics)
1928, Amsterdam: Kálmán Egri (Athletics)
1932, Los Angeles: Péter Bácsalmási (Athletics)
1936, Berlin: Péter Bácsalmási (Athletics)
1948, London: Imre Németh (Athletics)
1952, Helsinki: Imre Németh (Athletics)
1956, Melbourne: József Csermák (Athletics)
1960, Rome: János Simon (Basketball)
1964, Tokyo: Gergely Kulcsár (Fencing)
1968, Mexico City: Gergely Kulcsár (Fencing)
1972, Munich: Gergely Kulcsár (Fencing)
1976, Montréal: Jenő Kamuti (Fencing)
1980, Moscow: István Szivós (Water Polo)
1988, Seoul: István Vaskuti (Canoeing)
1992, Barcelona: Tibor Komáromi (Wrestling)
1996, Atlanta: Bence Szabó (Fencing)
2000, Sydney: Rita Kőbán (Canoeing)
2004, Athens: Antal Kovács (Judo)
2008, Beijing: Zoltán Kammerer (Canoeing)
2012, London: Péter Biros (Water Polo)
2016, Rio: Áron Szilágyi (Fencing)

Translated by Vanda Orosz