Tamás Kásás

Tamás Kásás
Personal information
Born	(1976-07-20) 20 July 1976 (age 47) Budapest, Hungary[1]
Nickname	Kása
Nationality	Hungarian
Height	2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
Position	Driver
Handedness	Right
Youth career
	KSI
Senior clubs
Years	Team
0000–1994	KSI
1994–1995	FTC-Vitasport
1995–1997	UTE-Office & Home
1997–2003	Posillipo
2003–2004	Vasas-Plaket-Euroleasing
2004–2006	Savona
2006–2012	Pro Recco
National team
Years	Team
1994–2012	Hungary
Medal record Men's water polo Representing  Hungary Olympic Games 2000 Sydney Team competition 2004 Athens Team competition 2008 Beijing Team competition World Championships 2003 Barcelona Team competition 1998 Perth Team competition 2005 Montréal Team competition 2007 Melbourne Team competition European Championship 1997 Sevilla Team competition 1999 Firenze Team competition 1995 Vienna Team competition 2006 Belgrade Team competition 2001 Budapest Team competition 2003 Kranj Team competition 2008 Málaga Team competition 2012 Eindhoven Team competition FINA World League 2003 New York Team competition 2004 Long Beach Team competition FINA World Cup 1995 Atlanta Team competition 1999 Sydney Team competition 2002 Belgrade Team competition 2006 Budapest Team competition 1997 Athens Team competition

Tamás Kásás (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈtɒmaːʃ ˈkaːʃaːʃ]; born 20 July 1976) is a retired Hungarian water polo player.

Kásás is often described as the best defensive player of his era, if not the best overall.^{[citation needed]} He is known for his ability to spring out of the water and block shots, as well as his strength in one-on-one situations. He is also noted for his highly accurate shots and passes.

He picked up the sport at the age of six, being taught by his father Zoltán, who is a coach in Hungary. Zoltán Kásás was also a gifted player who won an Olympic silver medal in 1972, a World Championship in 1973, and a European title in 1974.

He made his Olympic debut in 1996, where Hungary reached the semifinals before losing to the Manuel Estiarte-led Spanish squad. However, the Hungarian team bounced back to win European Championships in 1997 and 1999, as well as a Champions League cup in 1998, culminating with three Olympic gold medals at Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.^[1]

Kásás played in five consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country from 1996 to 2012. He is, jointly with Croat Igor Hinić and Greek Georgios Afroudakis, the tenth athlete to compete in water polo at five Olympics. He is also a leading goalscorer in Olympic water polo history, with 56 goals.^[1]

In 2007 Kásás won Euro League with Pro Recco. He was named Most Valuable Player at the 2002 FINA Men's Water Polo World Cup, where Hungary claimed the silver medal.

Honours

National

• Olympic Games: Gold medal – 2000, 2004, 2008
• World Championships: Gold medal – 2003; Silver medal – 1998, 2005, 2007
• European Championship: Gold medal – 1997, 1999; Silver medal – 1995, 2006; Bronze medal – 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012
• FINA World League: Gold medal – 2003, 2004; Bronze medal – 2002
• FINA World Cup: Gold medal – 1995, 1999; Silver medal – 2002, 2006; Bronze medal – 1997
• Junior World Championships: (Gold medal – 1995)
• Junior European Championship: (Gold medal – 1994)

Club

European competitions:

• Euroleague Winners (5): (1998 – with Posillipo; 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 – with Pro Recco)
• LEN Cup Winners (2): (1997 – with UTE; 2005 – with Savona)
• 0 LEN Super Cup Winners (4): (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 – with Pro Recco)
• Adriatic League: 1x (2012 – with Pro Recco)

Domestic competitions:

• Italian Championship (Serie A1): 9x (2000, 2001 – with Posillipo; 2005 – with Savona; 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 – with Pro Recco)
• Italian Cup (Coppa Italia): 5x (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 – with Pro Recco)

Awards

• Masterly youth athlete: 1996
• Member of the Hungarian team of year: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008
• Hungarian Water Polo Player of the Year: 1999, 2006
• Member of Hungarian national water polo team in the 20th century (2000)
• World Cup MVP: 2002 Belgrade
• World Cup Top Scorer: 2002 Belgrade
• Honorary Citizen of Budapest (2008)
• LEN Champions League Final Four MVP: 2011
• FINA Aquatics World Magazine – The Best water polo player of the Decade (2010)
• Ministerial Certificate of Merit (2012)
• Immortal member of the Hungarian Association of Athletes (2015)
• Príma díj (2015)
• Member of International Swimming Hall of Fame (2015)

Orders

• Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2000)
• Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2004)
• Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary with the Star (2008)^[2]

See also

• Hungary men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
• List of players who have appeared in multiple men's Olympic water polo tournaments
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
• List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
• List of men's Olympic water polo tournament top goalscorers
• List of world champions in men's water polo
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo
• List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame

References

External links

• Tamás Kásás at World Aquatics
• Tamás Kásás at the International Swimming Hall of Fame
• Tamás Kásás at Olympics.com
• Tamás Kásás at Olympedia
• Tamás Kásás at the Hungarian Olympic Committee (in Hungarian)
• Tamás Kásás at Pro Recco (archived)

Awards
Preceded by Aleksandr Yeryshov	Most Valuable Player of Water Polo European Championship 2006	Succeeded by Péter Biros