Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu swam to her 90th international medal and 60th gold on Wednesday at the European Short Course championships before revealing she’s happy to train without a coach in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics.
The 30-year-old ‘Iron Lady’ reached her landmark figures with victory in the 400m medley, 15 years after her first podium in the championships in Vienna in 2004. Hosszu won in 4min 25.10sec, adding another title to a haul which is now made up of three Olympic golds, 26 world and 31 European triumphs.
Just seven months out from the Tokyo Olympics, however, she is happy to prepare for the Games without a coach. In 2018, she split with husband and coach Shane Tusup before announcing last week that she was ending her collaboration with Arpad Petrov. “I have decided to train alone for Tokyo,” she said.
“I prepare my own programmes and practice for a long time. I know what preparation I need. “I train eight-10 hours a day, almost to the point of fainting. “If necessary, I will ask people from my club to time me, but I will be the coach, who will assume all the responsibilities.”
