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Alajos Szokolyi

Alajos Szokolyi
Alajos szokolyi.jpg
Alajos Szokolyi
Personal information
Nationality Hungarian
Born (1871-06-19)19 June 1871
Rónicz, Kingdom of Hungary
(now Hronec, Slovakia)
Died 9 September 1932(1932-09-09) (aged 61)
Bernece, Kingdom of Hungary
Sport
Country Hungary
Sport Track and field
Event(s) 100 m, 110 m hurdles, triple jump, high jump
Club Magyar AC
Coached by John Cash
Retired 1900
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 100 m – 11.4 sec (1891)
110 m hurdles – 17.4 sec (1897)
Triple jump – 12.48 m (1896)

Alajos Szokolyi (also referred to as Alajos Szokoly, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈɒlɒjoʃ ˈsokoji]; Slovak: Alojz Sokol; 19 June 1871 – 9 September 1932) was a Hungarian athlete, sports organizer, sports manager, archivist and physician. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal in 100 metres dash. In the same year he also won the first ever edition of the Hungarian Athletics Championships in 100 yards dash.

Szokolyi was born on 9 June 1871 in Rónicz, Kingdom of Hungary (now Hronec, Slovakia) as the first child József Szokoly, an engineer and Emília Holub. At the age of 3, he was adopted by his childless godparents, Alajos Schőnn, a veteran of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and Amália Szokoly, sister of Alajos' father. Szokolyi went to grammar school in Ipolyság (Šahy) , subsequently he absolved the high school in Selmecbánya (Banská Štiavnica) and Léva (Levice). He excelled with his talent already in high school, having been nominated the "best gymnast of the school" while in fourth grade. He was also regularly awarded in the school-year ending gymnastic competitions. In 1887 Szokolyi with his family moved from Ipolyság to their new mansion in Bernece, lying just on the opposite side of the river Ipoly. Two years later he was enrolled at the medical faculty in Budapest.

In Budapest Szokolyi immediately joined the Magyar Athletikai Club (MAC). Founded in 1875, MAC was the first athletics club in continental Europe and played a pioneer role in developing sports in Hungary. Competing in the junior category – athletes who did not participate in public competitions before were regarded as juniors –, Szokolyi won his first race in the 100 metres dash at the 1890 autumn championships of MAC. (That time MAC organized a spring and a autumn championships every year.) Szokolyi participated in the seniors' race as well, finishing third in the 100 yards.


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