Hubert Kos Took Additional Steps in 2025 to Safe Place Amongst World’s Finest
The primary world title Hubert Kos received got here in upset vogue, as he dethroned American Ryan Murphy within the 200 backstroke on the 2023 World Championships. Getting into that meet, Kos had been finest recognized for his particular person medley skills, together with a European title within the 200 IM a 12 months prior, however that win launched an undefeated streak within the 200 again that might stretch via the Paris Olympics and this 12 months’s world championships.
However now, the total vary of the Hungarian’s skills are on show. He isn’t on the degree of coaching accomplice Leon Marchand — nobody is — however Kos has adopted within the footsteps of Marchand and Michael Phelps as the most recent multi-event star who has superior their international prominence underneath the steerage of Bob Bowman.
Think about the 12 months Kos put collectively in 2025, each because the anchor of a national-title profitable crew on the College of Texas after which internationally. His yards performances had not lived as much as his lengthy course success till this season, when Kos swept nationwide titles in all three of his occasions.
On the NCAA Championships, Kos overcame spirited performances by Destin Lasco within the 200 IM and Jonny Marshall within the 100 again, requiring the quickest efficiency ever within the latter occasion, earlier than dominating the 200 again to conclude the meet. His time of 1:34.21 was greater than a second faster than anybody else in historical past had ever clocked. Furthermore, he proved his versatility by dealing with the butterfly legs on the Longhorns’ medley relays, together with a national-title profitable group within the 200 medley, and performing admirably on a pair of dash freestyle relays.
And when Kos reached the World Championships in Singapore, his efficiency within the very first session was an indication of what was to return. Swimming the second leg on Hungary’s 400 free relay, Kos break up 47.71. He wouldn’t race with the group within the last, opting to avoid wasting himself for his particular person occasions as Hungary had little probability of profitable a medal, however the tone was set.
Individually, Kos first raced within the 100 again, the place he got here up simply wanting a medal within the deepest occasion on the earth on the boys’s aspect. He led the way in which into the ultimate with a semifinal effort of 52.21 and managed a hundredth faster with medals on the road, just for Pieter Coetze, Thomas Ceccon and Yohann Ndoye-Brouard to all swim underneath 52 and deny Kos a medal.
Subsequent up was the 200 IM, as soon as Kos’ signature occasion however nonetheless one through which he had large potential. With an elite backstroke and world-class skills in butterfly and freestyle, Kos solely wanted a middling breaststroke leg to present himself a medal probability. And this was the 12 months he discovered that and extra.
Whereas Marchand was destroying the world report and fellow Texas-trained swimmer Shaine Casas was breaking via with a shocking silver-medal efficiency, Kos got here via for bronze. Delivering second place midway via the World Championship last, Kos managed a breaststroke break up of 34.02, slower than solely Marchand and Casas within the discipline and faster than achieved medley performers Duncan Scott and Lewis Clareburt.
On the way in which dwelling, Kos simply held off Scott as he produced a time of 1:55.34, good for a bronze medal and a spot amongst historical past’s top-10 performers within the occasion.
That evening, Kos must navigate a double, needing to qualify for the 200 again last earlier than heading again to his lodge. He did so simply however left the ability with the expectation of a tricky struggle to return in his signature occasion after Coetze managed an African report within the semifinals and each Ndoye-Brouard and Roman Mityukov swam underneath 1:55.
Twenty-four hours later, Kos would wish to swim his finest time by greater than a second to win the world title. Coetze led via the early levels of the race, however Kos got here via with an excellent third size after which held off the charging South African down the stretch. Kos touched in 1:53.19, breaking the European report beforehand held by Evgeny Rylov and shifting to No. 5 all-time within the occasion. He wanted each little bit of that enchancment as Coetze got here in solely 0.17 behind.
Shifting ahead, Kos has one 12 months of eligibility left at Texas, and he’ll attempt to cap off his faculty profession with one other signature national-championships efficiency. As for worldwide competitors, he enters 12 months two of this quad at or close to the highest of the world in three particular person occasions, and extra may quickly observe. Kos has put forth 50-second performances within the 100 fly on a number of events, with solely schedules at main competitions stopping his participation in that occasion. This 12 months in Singapore, he certified for the worldwide last within the 50 backstroke.
He may not have the dominance of Marchand, at the least not but, however his multi-event prowess and year-to-year consistency in his important occasion is now giving Kos the popularity he deserves.
