{"id":616604,"date":"2025-07-14T08:13:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T15:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=616604"},"modified":"2025-07-14T08:13:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T15:13:18","slug":"world-champs-profile-hubert-kos-ready-to-expand-medal-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-champs-profile-hubert-kos-ready-to-expand-medal-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"World Champs Profile: Hubert Kos Ready to Expand Medal Reach"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Champs Profiles: Hubert Kos Ready to Expand Medal Reach<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leading into the start of the World Championships later this month, Swimming World will publish a handful of short profiles on top contenders for the podium in Singapore. Our next entry in this series features Hubert Kos, the latest in a long line of Hungarian superstars.<\/p>\n

Hubert Kos<\/strong>
\nHungary<\/strong>
\nEvents:<\/strong> 50 Backstroke\/100 Backstroke\/200 Backstroke\/100 Butterfly\/200 IM<\/p>\n

The Road to Singapore<\/h3>\n

Kos is one of the world\u2019s elite multi-event standouts, even if he has enjoyed his greatest success in the backstroke. The 22-year-old is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 backstroke, an event in which he ranks fifth in the world this year, behind a mark of 1:55.50 from the Longhorn Elite Invitational.<\/p>\n

There should be additional medal opportunities for Kos at the World Champs, as he heads to Singapore ranked fourth in the 100 backstroke (52.24), sixth in the 100 butterfly (50.55) and fourth in the 200 medley (1:56.40). There is also the possibility that Kos contests the 50 backstroke.<\/p>\n

Top Career Achievement<\/h3>\n

The favorite for the gold medal in the 200 backstroke at last summer\u2019s Olympic Games in Paris, Kos needed a late rally to claim victory, and he delivered in a big way. Trailing Greece\u2019s Apostolos Christou by a second heading into the final length, Kos roared through the closing 50 meters to prevail by a little more than a half-second.<\/p>\n

Previous World Champs Hardware<\/h3>\n

Kos owns one medal from the long-course World Championships, a gold from the 2023 edition in Fukuoka. Additionally, he was a double-medalist at the 2024 World Short Course Championships, where he was the titlist in the 200 backstroke and secured a silver medal in the 100 backstroke.<\/p>\n

Stat Fact<\/h3>\n

Kos ranks in the top-25 all-time in four individual events. He is the No. 9 performer in the history of the 200 backstroke (1:54.14), 15th<\/sup> in both the 100 backstroke (52.24) and 100 butterfly (50.55) and 23rd<\/sup> in the 200 IM (1:56.40).<\/p>\n

World Champs Profiles<\/strong><\/p>\n