Sándor Tarics

The native form of this personal name is Tarics Sándor. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Sándor Tarics
Tarics in 2012
Personal information
Born 23 September 1913
Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died 21 May 2016(2016-05-21) (aged 102)
San Francisco, California, United States
Medal record
Men's water polo
Representing  Hungary
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1936 Berlin Team competition

Sándor Tarics (23 September 1913 – 21 May 2016) was a Hungarian water polo player who won a gold medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Born in Budapest, Tarics was part of the Hungarian team which won the gold medal, pushing Germany into second.[1] He played two matches, and scored two goals. He also won gold medals with the Hungarian team at the 1933, 1935 and 1937 International University Games as well as the unofficial, German-led 1939 International University Games.[2]

Tarics was able to escape post-war Soviet-occupied Hungary when his doctoral degree in engineering earned him a teaching fellowship in the United States. From 1949 to 1951, he served as a professor at Fort Wayne University, after which he took up a professorship at the California Institute of Technology.[citation needed] Tarics also established and grew a successful architecture and engineering practice in San Francisco.[1] His engineering work led to several patents, including "Stadium Roof, Patent No. 226, 181, Jan. 30, 1973" and "Composite Seismic Isolator, Patent No. 5, 461, 835, Oct. 31, 1995".[citation needed]

He worked in the UN Commission on Earthquakes.[citation needed]

Later life

Tarics attended the 2012 London Olympics as the oldest living Olympic champion[1] and turned 100 in September 2013.[3] Following the death of Attilio Pavesi,[4] Tarics was the oldest living Olympic champion.[1][5]

Tarics died in San Francisco, United States, on 21 May 2016 at the age of 102.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Dembosky, April (9 June 2012). "The Olympians: Sándor Tarics, Hungary". Financial Times Magazine.
  2. ^ "A University Athlete like No Other". FISU. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  3. ^ Dobor, Deszo (25 September 2013). "World's oldest Olympic champion celebrates 100th birthday". International Sports Press Association. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Cycling News, August 4 2011, 1932 Olympic champion dies, aged 100". cyclingnews.com. 4 August 2011.
  5. ^ "The oldest living Olympic champion is water polo player is Sándor Tarics". hungarianambiance.com. 12 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Oldest Olympic champion Sandor Tarics, Berlin veteran, dies at 102". Reuters. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.


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