Hungary clipped their wings, so now they are gathering recognition for Israel. A member of the Szollos family tells their story. – exclusive interview by Boglarka Savoly, sport365.hu
The Szollos siblings are gathering success on the slopes. The Hungarian siblings, who compete in Israeli colors, are joined at the hip with the sport. Barna- bas, Benjamin, and Noa are competitors, while their father, Peter, is present at each competition. The fruits of an immense amount of work seemed to ripen at last year’s Youth Olympics and it has been confirmed again at this year’s World Championships that they are on the right track.
The middle Szollos brother, Barnabas, finished 13th in men’s combined at the World Alpine Ski Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. No Hungarian-born skier has been able to achieve such a result in the men’s field. His brother, Benjamin, also closed a successful day, finishing in 21st place, improving 14 places after the first run. Noa, who races in the women’s field, still has her favorite event, the super-G giant slalom, left.
You have to stand your ground as a father and a coach
The careers of the three siblings are guided by their father, who was affected by Tuesday’s events to such an extent that he could not sleep at night. “I barely had any sleep, and I have to say, last year’s miracle happened again. I was standing there with the kids at the starting line. I could see the first eight gates from there, and they were pretty icy. Then I followed the descent on a monitor. The flash of the number 13 was incredible,” – he says touched. Peter, who once competed, has his work cut out for him. He has to stand his ground on the track as a father and a coach. “It is impossible to handle this situation, especially since I used to be a racer too. There’s a moment at the gate while you’re still there with your child, and then when they set out, you can only hope for the best, but you can’t help them anymore.”
Of course, it’s not just in a competition that he has a difficult time, as he has to divide his attention between his children almost all the time. “It happened a lot that while Noa was in a children’s race, Barnabas was in the teens, and Benjamin competed in a World Championship. Same day, 3 ages, 3 competitions in completely different venues. It was hard, but their mom helped a lot. Noa already has a private coach, the boys train with a team, and I’m where I can be.”
They carry a sore past
The three racers started out in Hungarian colors as children, but before the 2018 Winter Olympics, their relationship with the Hungarian federation became so bitter that they decided to change countries. Peter now feels they have made the right decision. “We gave them their chance. I competed as an Israeli, but my children spent the first ten years of their careers as Hungarian racers. Barnabas was 7th in Hungarian colors at the Junior Olympics. They have won many Hungarian championships. We tried, but it didn’t work out.”
“Our decision was more of a coercive move. I hoped that the Hungarian Ski Association would support us at some level, but the situation has only worsened over the years. I think my children were innocent. The Hungarian association lacked professional competence. They could not accept that my children go to an Austrian school, train with Austrian teams, and prepare individually. I think it’s partly envy, partly jealousy, and lots and lots of malice on their part.” “In the year of the Olympic games, Barnabas and Benjamin were the two best competitors in the Hungarian team. It was then that a disqualification procedure began, which lasted until they could not travel to the Olympics. It is unforgivable…” – says Peter, about the change from years ago.
It was the right move
Even though a decision of this magnitude is never easy to make, Peter thinks they chose wisely. “It was hard to explain to the three of my kids that the flag is no longer red-white-green, but blue-white-blue. We came to terms with it, and the kids are happy to compete in Israeli colors. Now, I regret that we didn’t make this move sooner. We are in a very fortunate position at the Israeli alliance. We can do the program we have been planning for more than ten years and walk the path we want.”
They haven’t been contacted since
The father now says that his children will certainly not compete in Hungarian colors anymore, but he would not rule out a possible cooperation. However, they would open in vain; their phones have not been ringing yet. “Since then, two brand new leaderships have been formed, but we have not been approached. Cooperation is not out of the question, but we are so grateful to the Israeli Olympic Committee that they have welcomed us in this difficult situation that we cannot make a change of country again.”
They also quarrel over a glass of peach juice at home, but they always help each other on the field
An unparalleled, strong bond between the three siblings and their father can be felt throughout almost our entire conversation. This attachment often helps them. Moreover, the motivation of the siblings is continually strengthened by a playful rivalry. “They can make a fuss over a bottle of peach juice, but of course, they help each other in the field. It’s rare for them to compete together, but now that was the case. When Noa finished her run, she told the boys what to look out for, and they shared their experiences afterwards.” – says Peter.
“Our relationship gives us extra strength not in the race itself, rather in getting through each day. It’s a lot easier in this calm environment, and I can survive these two weeks better.” – adds Benjamin.
“It was incredible. I didn’t think the boys would pull themselves together so much for the slalom and achieve such a result. I hope I get a good result too. He also said at the Olympics last year that he wanted to get a better place than Barni’s at all costs. I may fail, but I will do my best.” – says Noa about siblinghood and rivalry.
Burning lungs
When I asked Barnabas about the incredible result, he says laughingly, he doesn’t understand what his father was talking about, as he was so tired that he had no problem sleeping at all. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. I slept perfectly well. I was exhausted after the two races. Our second race was so late that it was almost dark. When the race was over, all I could do was have dinner.” “The greatest challenge was the ice on the course. We only race once or twice a year under such circumstances. I had to be very careful not to slip out. When I saw the female racers, I wondered if I had sharpened my skis enough, but I was reassured after the first few gates.” “When I finished, I couldn’t breathe for three minutes. After the downhill, my breathing hurt, my lungs burned, my thighs burned, my entire body burned,” – he says.
He overcame his fears
Benjamin says he really couldn’t sleep, but not because he was not tired enough, rather because that his fatigue reached a level that had already revved him over. “I was more worn out by these four days. Since I hadn’t raced so many times downhill, I had to pull myself together in my head and body. I was mentally worn because I had to overcome many of my fears.” “When you go all out for two minutes, you have to take relatively deep breaths. My lungs almost burned up. I had to cough a lot, which one would do well to hide in the time of the coronavirus.” – he says, laughing. “Downhill wore me out, but I felt a bit more relaxed on the combined. Still, I think I managed to show what I can do. I’m happy with the 21st place.”
They compete in every discipline
Even among the most prominent competitors, it is very rare to compete in all disciplines, but the Szollos siblings can withstand the pressure. At the World Championships, each of them will compete in all numbers. Sure, everyone has their favorite and strong suit, but they’re happy to experiment. “I also competed in the parallel giant slalom. I just participated for the first time, but I’m here to try everything. It was challenging to qualify. I don’t mind not being able to get in.” – says Noa about her latest number. “The giant slalom is my strongest number, I want to achieve a nice result in it, but there is still the qualification and a final for the slalom left.” – she adds.
They don’t set a specific goal
When I ask the father about future plans, Peter says he doesn’t know what to say. They strive to get as far ahead as possible, but this is no easy task. Noa avoids my question cleverly. She thinks the point is to always get the best out of themselves. Benjamin is also in this opinion, although he quietly remarks that he would really like to get to the Olympics.