Kristof Milak did not speak to the media after winning a gold medal in swimming at the Olympics. The 24-year-old Hungarian star refused to break his mysterious silence of more than a year.
Nobody knows what the deal is, not even his coaches.
Milak, the world record holder in the 200-meter butterfly, won a gold medal in that event at the Tokyo Games in 2020 and the silver medal in the 100-meter fly. He flipped the script in Paris.
A loss in the 200 inspired him to leave it all in the pool and win the 100. Milak was visibly dejected after the initial defeat and left the race with his head down. There was a clear chip on his shoulder during his second event of the Olympics, which propelled him to a gold medal.
Although it was a joyous occasion, you would not know based on Milak’s reaction.
He did eventually crack a small smile with the gold medal in hand.
Hungarian reporters describe Milak as somber, temperamental, detached and difficult to read. His journey to the Olympics included a long break from training after stepping away from the sport on a few different occasions over the last year.
Part of the deal with Milak is that he will not speak to the media and has not talked to reporters in his native country for more than a year. Nobody knows why. No further explanation was ever provided.
I don’t have any idea why he doesn’t speak because he’s doing the same with the Hungarian media. I was a swimmer, and when I competed, I liked to talk.
— Hungarian team coach Csaba Sos
Reporters gathered in the media room and waited for Kristof Milak after the victory on Saturday night. They got what they expected… nothing.
Milak never showed. He bailed on the post-race press conference. He did not issue a statement.
There is a lot of mystery with the world’s fastest butterfly swimmer. Kristof Milak doesn’t say much, if anything and people know very little about him. It’s just how he is.