György Kárpáti

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor =

| name = György Kárpáti

| image = Dr. Kárpáti György (crop).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Kárpáti in 2014

| birth_name =

| fullname =

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| nationality =

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| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|06|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Budapest, Hungary

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|6|17|1935|6|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Budapest, Hungary

| height = 167 cm

| weight = 71 kg

| sport = Water polo

| event =

| club = Budapesti Kinizsi
Ferencvárosi Torna Club

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{{MedalCountry | {{HUN}} }}

}}

György Kárpáti (23 June 1935 – 17 June 2020) {{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29324091/three-olympic-water-polo-champion-gyorgy-karpati-dies-84|title=Hungarian water polo champ Karpati dies at 84|date=June 17, 2020|website=ESPN.com}} was a Hungarian water polo player who competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics, 1960 Summer Olympics, and 1964 Summer Olympics. He is one of eight male athletes who won four or more Olympic medals in water polo, and one of ten male athletes who won three Olympic gold medals in water polo.{{cite web|title=Country Medal Leaders & Athlete Medal Leaders |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/sports/WAP/ |website=sports-reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428225707/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/sports/WAP/ |archive-date=28 April 2020 }}

Career

Kárpáti was born in Budapest, and was a member of the Hungarian team which won the gold medal in the 1952 tournament. He played five matches and scored four goals.

Four years later he was a member of the Hungarian team which won again the gold medal in the 1956 Olympic tournament. He played six matches and scored at least six goals (not all scorers are known).

At the 1960 Games he won the bronze medal with the Hungarian team. He played four matches and scored five goals.

His last Olympic tournament was in Tokyo 1964 where he won his third gold medal. He played six matches and scored four goals for the Hungarian team.{{cite web |last1=Karpati |first1=Gyorgy |title=Three-time Olympic water polo champion Gyorgy Karpati dies at 84 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/06/18/olympics/summer-olympics/olympics-water-polo/three-time-olympic-water-polo-champion-gyorgy-karpati-dies-84/#.XusnBGgzbyQ |website=japantimes.co |access-date=2020-06-18 |archive-date=2020-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621162910/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/06/18/olympics/summer-olympics/olympics-water-polo/three-time-olympic-water-polo-champion-gyorgy-karpati-dies-84/#.XusnBGgzbyQ |url-status=dead }}

Kárpáti studied and gained a degree in law, but he never practised it, he also got a degree in coaching in 1964, which he used when he was assistant coach to Dezső Gyarmati for the national team between 1970-80. Their main success was winning the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |title=György Kárpáti |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/54173 |website=olympedia.org |accessdate=25 June 2020}}

In 1982, Kárpáti was elected in to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and from 1994 he became a member of the Association of Immortal Hungarian Athletes.

Death

After a long illness Kárpáti died on 17 June 2020, aged 84 years.{{cite web |title=Three-time Olympic Champion Water Polo Player György Kárpáti Dies Aged 84 |url=https://hungarytoday.hu/gyorgy-karpati-dies/ |website=hungarytoday.hu |date=18 June 2020 |accessdate=25 June 2020 |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517174731/https://hungarytoday.hu/gyorgy-karpati-dies/ |url-status=dead }} He was buried in the Farkasréti Cemetery on 2 July 2020.{{Cite web|url=http://vlv.hu/news/12729/vegso-bucsut-vettek-karpati-gyorgytol?fbclid=IwAR3jVzvvQ04_9zM9-bQ0oBMJSP29QjsIk8HT9g3Zcxl9_6j14m13y9gztqU|title=Végső búcsút vettek Kárpáti Györgytől|website=VLV - Magyar vízilabda-válogatott}}

Personal life

György was born Jewish.{{cite book|author=Taylor, Paul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t0KzECrIQDQC&dq=%22Jews+and+the+Olympic+Games%22+karpati&pg=PA93|title=Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics – With a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medalists|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|year=2004|isbn = 9781903900888}} He was a great friend of the former water polo player and distinguished Italian actor Bud Spencer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lokal.hu/2016-06-bud-spencer-halala-elott-meg-latni-akarta-karpati-gyorgyot/|title=Bud Spencer: halála előtt még látni akarta Kárpáti Györgyöt|date=June 29, 2016|website=Lokál}}{{Cite web|url=https://ripost.hu/sport/oldalvonal/igy-emlekezik-bud-spencerrol-a-legjobb-magyar-barat-karpati-gyorgy-1775018/|title=Így emlékezik Bud Spencerről a legjobb magyar barát: Kárpáti György|website=Ripost.hu|date=28 June 2016 }}