Hungarian Olympic, World Champ to Swim at Arizona State

By Phillip Whitten
TEMPE, Arizona. August 3. AGNES Kovacs, the 2000 Olympic champion and the 1998 and 2001 world champion in the 200 meter breaststroke, will be attending college at Arizona State University this fall, according to a report on a Hungarian television program.

Kovacs is the European record-holder in both the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke.

Kovacs, 19, will enter the university as a freshman and plans to compete for the Arizona State University Sun Devils. Her addition to the squad should boost the Sun Devils into the top tier of women's collegiate swim teams.

ASU has not cracked the rarefied air of the top 10 since 1993, when the team finished ninth under Coach Tim Hill. Interestingly, that team, too, featured a foreign breaststroke star – Beata Kaszuba of Poland. Two years later, Kaszuba became the first woman to break a minute for the 100 yard breaststroke.

When asked why she plans to leave Hungary and attend college at ASU, Kovacs said: "I believe it is the best move for my career."

The news of Kovacs' was reported on Wednesday on the show "Nap-kelte," on Magyar ATV in Budapest.

Thus far, Swiminfo has been unable to reach ASU head coach Mike Chasson for comment.

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