Deutsch, Tomas

Sport:
swimming

Country Represented:
Hungary

Years Competed:
1992, 1996

Olympic Info:
Deutsch competed in two Olympiads in the 1990s as a member of the Hungarian swimming team. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Deutsch competed in three events, and made the final in the 200-meter backstroke; he finished in seventh place (2:00.06). Deutsch also competed in the 100-meter backstroke and qualified for the consolation final, where he finished in fifth place (56.70), and officially placed 13th overall. His final event was in the 4x100-meter medley relay; he swam the lead leg for the Hungarian team which finished in sixth place with a time of 3:42.03.

Deutsch returned to the Olympics at the 1996 Atlanta Games and competed in two events. In the 100-meter backstroke, he finished eighth in his preliminary heat (56.96) and did not advance to the next round. Tomas was also a member of Hungary's 4x100-meter medley relay team that finished second in its preliminary heat (3:41.05) and advanced to the final. In the final, Deutsch swam the lead leg and the Hungarian finished in sixth place in 3:40.84. He was also scheduled to compete in the 200-meter backstroke, but did not swim in his preliminary heat.

Career Highlights:
In the early and mid-1990s, Deutsch was one of the top all-around swimmers in the world, competing in the backstroke, butterfly, and even the individual medley. It was in the backstroke, however, that he excelled. In 1991, he was ranked No. 7 in the world in the 200-meter with a time of 2:00.30 and was No. 5 in the same event in 1994 (1:59.31). In 1993, Deutsch came to the U.S. to attend the University of Miami (Florida), and immediately became one of the school's top swimmers. After winning the Big East title that year in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, Deutsch was named Big East Swimmer of the Year in 1994 after he won the conference championship in the same two events as well as the 100-meter butterfly. The following year, Deutsch repeated as Big East champ in the 200-meter backstroke and added the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley crowns. He capped off his wonderful collegiate career in 1996 by winning the Big East 200-meter backstroke for the fourth consecutive year. That year, he also won the Hungarian National titles in the 100-meter backstroke (57.36) and finished second in the 200-meter backstroke to qualify for the Olympics in both events.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. July 27, 1966

Origin:
Budapest, Hungary

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