Szabina Gercsák wants to revive that Olympic happiness from 2014

Szabina Gercsák has carved a name for herself in the world of judo. Starting her judo journey in 2001 inspired by her older brother, Szabina has grown into one of Hungary's most promising judoka. In 2014 she won Youth Olympic gold and that feeling was the happiest judo feeling ever.

Gercsák’s is among the five Youth Olympic Champions competing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, having won gold in the -63kg category at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. Her success didn’t stop there. She claimed the junior world title in 2015 and has been a consistent performer at senior world championships since 2015, with her best result being ninth in 2021.

She has a collection of eleven World Cup medals from 2014 to 2024, including two victories and a Grand Slam bronze medal in Baku in 2024. Additionally, she has double Junior European Champion titles (2014, 2015) and a bronze medal from the 2016 European Championships in Kazan.

In 2015, Szabina moved from the -63kg category, where she celebrated her junior successes, to the -70kg category, gradually returning to the Olympic level.

She trains at the Hungary Atomerőmű SE under the guidance of national coach (2005 world champion) Akos Braun. Her training regimen takes place in Paks. She is proficient in techniques such as uchi-mata, o-goshi, ashi barai, and seoi-nage. She graduated from Nyiregyházi University in 2015 with a degree in Sports Management.

She loves spending time with her family and draws inspiration from her mother, who she considers a hero for fighting tirelessly to provide a better life for her and her brothers despite battling health issues. Her idol in the sport is the Japanese judoka Ryoko Tamura-Tani, a multiple Olympic and world championship medalist. She also admires singer Justin Bieber.

Szabina’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. She underwent spinal surgery and made a remarkable comeback by winning a European Cup in Luxembourg in 2019. The passing of her father when she was 12 and her mother’s subsequent health struggles have been significant personal challenges that have shaped her resilience and determination.

Looking ahead, Szabina aims to be a positive role model, a good coach, and perhaps a physical therapist. She also dreams of having her own family. Her motto, “Work hard, fall down, get up, and try again. Keep trying, and one day it will be your day. Be ready!” 

First the World Championships in Abu Dhabi are awaiting to defend her current position.