Danuta Kozák

The native form of this personal name is Kozák Danuta. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Danuta Kozák (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈdɒnutɒ ˈkozaːk]; born 11 January 1987) is a Hungarian sprint canoeist. She has won one silver, one bronze and six Olympic gold medals, three of which in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, making her the first female to win K1, K2 and K4 at the same Olympics (a record equalled in 2024 by Dame Lisa Carrington). At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal in Women's K-4 500 metres, and bronze medal in Women's K-2 500 metres.^[1]

Danuta Kozák

Personal information
Nationality	Hungarian
Born	(1987-01-11) 11 January 1987 (age 38) Budapest, Hungary
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Country	Hungary
Sport	Sprint kayak
Club	KSI (1996–08) Bp. Honvéd (2009–12) Újpesti TE (2013–20) Ferencvárosi TC (2021– )
Coached by	Béla Somogyi
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 1 1 World Championships 15 3 2 European Championships 17 8 1 European Games 3 3 1 Total 41 15 5 Olympic Games 2012 London K-1 500 m 2012 London K-4 500 m 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-2 500 m 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-1 500 m 2016 Rio de Janeiro K-4 500 m 2020 Tokyo K-4 500 m 2008 Beijing K-4 500 m 2020 Tokyo K-2 500 m World Championships 2009 Dartmouth K-2 500 m 2009 Dartmouth K-4 500 m 2010 Poznań K-2 500 m 2011 Szeged K-2 200 m 2011 Szeged K-4 500 m 2013 Duisburg K-1 500 m 2013 Duisburg K-4 500 m 2013 Duisburg K-1 4×200 m 2014 Moscow K-1 500 m 2014 Moscow K-4 500 m 2015 Milan K-2 500 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 500 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 500 m 2018 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m 2021 Copenhagen K-2 500 m 2011 Szeged K-1 500 m 2015 Milan K-4 500 m 2021 Copenhagen K-4 500 m 2007 Duisburg K-2 1000 m 2019 Szeged K-1 500 m European Games 2015 Baku K-1 500 m 2015 Baku K-4 500 m 2019 Minsk K-4 500 m 2019 Minsk K-1 200 m 2019 Minsk K-1 500 m 2019 Minsk K-2 500 m 2015 Baku K-1 200 m European Championships 2007 Pontevedra K-2 1000 m 2008 Milan K-2 500 m 2008 Milan K-4 200 m 2009 Brandenburg K-2 500 m 2010 Trasona K-1 500 m 2011 Belgrade K-1 500 m 2011 Belgrade K-2 200 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m 2014 Brandenburg K-1 200 m 2014 Brandenburg K-1 500 m 2014 Brandenburg K-4 500 m 2016 Moscow K-1 500 m 2016 Moscow K-2 500 m 2016 Moscow K-4 500 m 2018 Belgrade K-1 500 m 2018 Belgrade K-4 500 m 2021 Poznań K-2 500 m 2008 Milan K-4 500 m 2009 Brandenburg K-1 4×200 m 2010 Trasona K-4 500 m 2011 Belgrade K-4 500 m 2012 Zagreb K-1 500 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 500 m 2018 Belgrade K-1 200 m 2021 Poznań K-1 500 m 2012 Zagreb K-4 500 m

Career

Kozák has competed since the late 2000s. She won a silver medal in the K-4 500 m event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Kozák then won a gold medal at the London Olympics in the Kayak Four (K4) 500m team event with Gabriella Szabó, Katalin Kovács and Krisztina Fazekas Zur for Hungary. She also won the gold medal in the Kayak Single (K1) 500m.^[2] She won three gold medals in the Kayak Single (K1) 500m, Kayak Pairs (K2) 500m and Kayak Four (K4) 500m at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; a feat compounded with her reeling from a stomach infection one day before the events.^[3] The latter results made her the most successful Hungarian sprint canoer and the only female athlete to win K1, K2 and K4 at the same Olympics.

Kozák has also won eighteen medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with fourteen golds (K-1 500 m: 2013, 2014, 2018; K-2 200 m: 2011; K-2 500 m: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018; K-4 500 m: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018 and K-1 200 m relay: 2013), two silvers (K-1 500 m: 2011 and K-4 500 m: 2015) and two bronzes (K-1 500 m: 2019, K-2 1000 m: 2007).

Awards

• Junior Príma award (2008)
• KSI SE – Athlete of Year (2008)
• Hungarian kayaker of the Year (5): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
• Perpetual champion of Hungarian Kayak-Canoe (2011)
• Honorary Citizen of Budapest (2012)
• Honorary Citizen of Újpest (2016)

Orders and special awards

• Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Knight's Cross (2008)
• Order of Merit of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2012)
• Order of Merit of Hungary – Commander's Cross with Star (2016)

Personal life

Her mother is of Polish descent.^[4]

See also

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists