Hubert Kos Sounds Off On Kristof Milak, Who Reportedly Will not Swim Hungarian Relays At Euros

2026 European Swimming Championships

There may be a rift rising inside the Hungarian swimming group only one week earlier than the European Aquatics Championships kick off in Paris.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Hubert Kos put Kristof Milak on blast in an interview with national outlet M4Sport, basically calling his countryman egocentric as a result of him reportedly opting to not contest the Hungarian relays at Euros.

“I’m looking forward to the relays, we want to be on the podium. If we have a Kristof Milak, who knows how much he’s trained and can still swim the world’s best time in the 100 butterfly, then we could be capable of anything,” Kos mentioned within the interview, translated from Hungarian.

Although there isn’t any official affirmation, Kos intimates that Milak will forgo the relays on the competitors, or at the very least decide and select them relying on his schedule.

“Together with Nandor Nemeth and Kristof Milak, we could even (field a strong team in) the 4×100 medley relay with a mediocre breaststroker. I think if Kristof started now and we added Zsombor (Petroczki) as the breaststroker, we could have a gold medal. One person is not enough for this, three or four would be needed, I’m sad about that. We’re trying to achieve a good result with the 4×100 relay.”

Due to the Hungarians not having a breaststroker on the group, there’s an opportunity the federation doesn’t even enter the boys’s 4×100 medley relay, based on Hungarian reviews.

Kos referenced the distinction in philosophy between his native Hungary and the place he trains and lives now within the United States, the place, particularly within the NCAA, relays are a very powerful factor, not an afterthought.

“I feel that someone truly becomes a legend when they can rally a team around them. This is a lost opportunity that could have been established now,” Kos mentioned. “We would have had an opportunity to medal even on the Paris Olympics, as a result of Kristof is in order that good that we put him in final and he’ll beat whoever is subsequent to him. So, after all, I’m sorry, and we hope that this can change sometime.

“We all know that Kristof works differently and follows different paths, but that doesn’t take away from how much talent he has. The fact that he doesn’t take on relays doesn’t take away from his talent either, it’s just sad, and it actually shows that he only thinks about himself and not the team.”

Milak’s final Instagram publish from August 2024 is of him and Kos collectively, with the caption “champions,” after they each gained gold on the Paris Olympics.

At the 2022 European Championships, Milak helped information the Hungarian males to gold within the 4×200 free relay and silver within the 4×100 free relay.

Since then, between the 2024 Euros and 2024 Olympics, the one two main worldwide competitions he’s contested, Milak hasn’t had any relay swims.

As for his personal expectations, Kos said that regardless of successful Olympic gold, two LC world titles and one SC world title within the 200 again, the European title nonetheless eludes him and is one he covets tremendously.

“The European Championships are a really massive competitors, no matter the truth that I gained the World Championships and the Olympics. I can lastly (relaxation up) and swim at max velocity, I’m actually trying ahead to it, however on the similar time I’m making an attempt out new occasions to wash up my program for subsequent yr’s World Championships and the 2028 Olympics.

“I can’t just stay in the 200 backstroke because I’m an Olympic and world champion in the event, but I haven’t won the European Championships yet, so I definitely have to win there, I’m also starting the competition with something that’s never been done before. It’s frustrating that I don’t have a European Championship victory yet, but I’m trying to focus on myself and consciously build up the three swims.”

He famous that coach Bob Bowman has constantly informed him he’s able to breaking Aaron Peirsol‘s longstanding world record in the event, but Kos knows he’s nonetheless received a methods to go to get there, and mentioned 2028 is his final goal. He’ll tackle an expanded occasion lineup in Paris, and although the particular entries are presently unknown, the M4 Sport report indicated he’ll be racing the 200 fly.

As for Milak, he withdrew from the 2025 World Championships final yr as a result of what his coach mentioned was an absence of motivation. After a yr away from competitors, he returned to motion on the Hungarian Championships this previous April, setting new finest instances within the 50 free (21.76) and 50 fly (23.03) whereas hitting a world-leading time within the 100 fly (50.22).

At the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, he broke the Hungarian Record within the 50 fly (22.86) whereas posting spectacular instances within the 100 free (47.89) and 100 fly (50.47).

As for the 200 fly, the race by which he’s the present world document holder and four-time defending European champion, Milak withdrew from the ultimate of the occasion on the Hungarian Championships in April and hasn’t raced it since, indicating it’s unlikely he swims it at Euros.