Zoltán Melis

Zoltán Melis initially swam for Bp. Spartacus, then wrestled at Kinizsi Húsos. János Parti’s victory in Roma lured him to water sports, but his uncle mistakenly took him to rowing instead of kayaking. Melis was a competitor for Csepel SC from 1961 to 1980.

During his sports career Melis won the Hungarian championship 33 times. He was a member of the Hungarian national team from 1965 to 1979, achieving his best results with the coxless four. He won silver in this class at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and the 1969 Klagenfurt European Championships. In addition to his sports career, he took the car mechanic’s exam in 1965. From 1966, he worked as a car mechanic at Csepel Metal Factory. In 1977 he graduated as a mechanical engineer.

In 1979 Melis earned a rowing coach diploma from the College of Physical Education. From 1981, he was the youth coach of Csepel SC, and from 1982, he was an adult coach. From 1983 to 1992 he was the national team captain in Hungary. From the fall of 1994 to the end of 1996, he was the national team captain in Egypt. From February 1997 to the end of 2008, he was again the captain of the Hungarian Rowing Association. His brother, Antal Melis, and his wife Éva Molnár, were both national team rowers.