Ilona Vargha

Ilona Vargha spent her childhood and youth in Košice, where she started fencing and was a multiple champion of Slovakia, Košice, and Silesia. In 1932 Vargha moved to Budapest and competed in the colors of BEAC. From 1933-40 she was a member of the Detective Athletics Club and during that time she won Hungarian team foil titles in 1938-39. She stopped competing in 1940, but after World War II, she resumed with Bp. Barátság SE and in 1948 she won her third national team championship. Between 1934-51, she earned 52 caps.

Vargha finished seventh at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. At the World Championships she won six medals and three golds, all in team foil, winning the title in 1934-35 and 1937. The 1934-35 titles were at the European Championships, which served as de facto World Championships in that era. Vargha retired for good in 1951. She died on 19 April 1973 under tragic circumstances – she was cooking and her clothes caught on fire and she died a few weeks later from her severe burns.