Ferenc Török

Ferenc Török took up modern pentathlon after high school and won his first medal at the Hungarian national championships, bronze, in 1956 in the team event. He became the individual national champion in 1959 and took silver in the team competition that year, before winning both titles in 1960. Individually, he won silver in 1961 and bronze in 1962 and 1963, while being team champion in both of the latter years. He also began reaching the podium at the World Championships, with team silver in 1961 and 1962, individual bronze and silver in 1962 and 1963 respectively, and a team title in the latter year.

After winning both national titles in 1964, Török represented Hungary at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where he won the individual event and took bronze with the team. Four years, in Mexico City, he captured gold with the team and place 12th individually. In-between, he won team gold at the Worlds every year and was the individual bronze medalist in 1965 and 1966. Nationally, he was the team champion in 1965 and 1966, with silver in 1967 and bronze in 1968, while individually he was a bronze medallist in 1965 and 1968. He also won team fencing titles in 1965 and 1970. He retired from active competition at the end of the latter year.

During his career, Török studied law and received his juris doctorate in 1957. He worked as a lawyer in various capacities until opening his own law firm in 1992. He also received certification as a professional trainer and coach in 1966, serving as head coach of the national team from 1976 through 1989 and working in administrative roles. He was Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 1964 and Coach of the Year in 1989, and received the Olympic Order in Silver in 1995. He served in the Hungarian Parliament as a member of the Alliance of Free Democrats, a liberal party, from 1990 through 1998. His brother Ottó was also an Olympic medalist with the Hungarian team in 1964.