Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak ripped his swimsuit at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Despite winning gold, the wardrobe malfunction cost him a world record.
On Wednesday July 28, the 21-year-old athlete competed in the 200-meter butterfly final. Moments after the start of the race, his shorts tore, which distracted him. He was hoping to beat his own record for the event he completed in July 2019 with a time of 1:50:73. That race beat US team Michael Phelp in 1:51:25, a record he held for thirteen years.
“They split 10 minutes before I got into the pool and at that point I knew the world record was gone. I lost my focus and I knew I couldn’t do it “Milak told the BBC.
Fortunately, he had a reserve and changed just before the final. Although he did not break the world record, he won the gold medal in Hungary and it was the third fastest time of his sporting career.
“It was a problem for me. I have a routine, a rhythm, a focus. It broke my concentration and this problem impacted my time,” continued Milak. “I wasn’t swimming for the medal, I was swimming right now. I said earlier that I wanted a personal best. And my personal best is a world record.”
Despite winning a gold medal and swimming for a good time, social media users were taken aback by his seemingly neutral reaction to winning first place.
“I have watched the Olympics since 1984. I have never seen an athlete so thrilled to win a gold medal [medal] than the Hungarian Kristof Milak in the 200m butterfly. The guy didn’t smile, “tweeted one user.
See some of the best reactions below.
