Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix – World Stars and Hungarian Champions on One Stage
Today, the official press conference of the 2025 Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix was held at the Danubius Hotel Helia, where international and Hungarian athletics stars, along with the event’s organizers, shared their thoughts on Tuesday’s competition.
In their welcome speeches, Péter Deutsch, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and Attila Spiriev, Sports Director of the event, presented the main objectives and new features of this year’s edition.
“The Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix is the celebration of Hungarian athletics. We are very proud that over the past 15 years, alongside the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, it has been the only event that our country has been able to host every single year, under all circumstances,” said Péter Deutsch in his introduction. “I’d like to continue with two quotes I came across regarding the competition. One says that world stars and Hungarian champions will be on the same stage – and I think that’s very accurate. The other comes from U23 European silver medallist Anna Tóth, who said that competing in front of a home crowd is an uplifting feeling. These words perfectly reflect what we’re feeling just 24 hours before the event. The stars arriving, the Hungarian champions – they all promise fantastic results; tomorrow’s line-up will be incredible. For only the second time in its history, the Gyulai Memorial is moving to a new venue – its third overall – as we host it in Budapest at the National Athletics Centre. We are deeply grateful to Székesfehérvár for the past 11 years full of shared memories and successes, and we thank them for being the home of this competition for over a decade. This year’s edition at the National Athletics Centre is a very special opportunity. We have created a programme where outstanding competitions will take place in every corner of the track. We are delighted that virtually all tickets for tomorrow’s event have sold out – we can say it will be a full house, meaning we can host the meet in front of 14,000 spectators. Turning briefly to Hungarian athletics, this year has brought wonderful results: Attila Molnár became European indoor champion, our men’s 4x400m relay team won a sensational World Championship bronze, and even in the past few days at the U20 European Championships, our youngsters excelled, winning three golds, one silver, and one bronze. This confirms what the Hungarian Athletics Federation stands for – the importance of individual talent management programmes. How does the past fourteen Gyulai Memorial editions connect to Hungarian athletics? In recent years, almost 400 Hungarian athletes have competed in the international events. On Tuesday, August 12, it will be magical to step into the National Athletics Centre, where in 2025 the legend continues. Go Hungarian athletics!”
“First of all, I’d also like to congratulate all Hungarian athletes who won medals or placed at the U20 European Championships. On Tuesday, an exceptional line-up will gather – world champions, Olympic champions, and world record-holders – along with the full roster of top Hungarian athletes. We can expect thrilling battles, and I’m curious to see who will win the Best Male and Female Hungarian Athlete Awards, as well as the Dr. Bojidar Spiriev Trophy for the best performance of the meet,” said Attila Spiriev, who, with his customary thoroughness and expertise, introduced the athletes during the press conference.
One of the highlights of the event was when world-famous athletes – Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, Femke Bol, and Kishane Thompson – took the stage. They spoke about their current form, their experiences with the Hungarian meet, and what makes the Gyulai Memorial special to them.
Femke Bol: “A lot has changed since I first competed here – I’m older now, with more experience, and I’m less stressed before competitions. What hasn’t changed is that I’m always motivated and inspired. I have very pleasant memories of Budapest – the stadium is great, the fans are amazing. I’m in very good form, I’ve just returned from a training camp, and I hope to peak at the right moment and deliver a great performance.”
Armand Duplantis: “I feel fresh both physically and mentally, in good shape, and I hope that will show tomorrow. For us pole vaulters, wind conditions matter, but here we have a big stadium, and I expect the conditions to be favourable. I hear there won’t be any wind tomorrow, though it will be hot – which actually works well for me. So overall, I think the conditions will support a great performance. I have fond memories of Budapest – winning the World Championships here was magical. I hope I can once again deliver a fantastic result for the fans tomorrow.”
Kishane Thompson: “Budapest is a very pleasant location for me – I feel great here. It’s a wonderful feeling to hear that I’m the fastest man in the world. I’ve stayed injury-free and I’m in good shape. As for the 9.84 meet record, I can only say that tomorrow I’ll give it my all.”
The home crowd’s favourites – Bence Halász, Boglárka Takács, and Attila Molnár – spoke about their preparations for the Olympics and World Championships, as well as the advantages of competing on home soil.
Boglárka Takács: “I’ve already had the honour of running alongside Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Gyulai Memorial, which is always a huge privilege, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve also competed in Diamond League events, where I gained valuable experience. Tomorrow, I’d like to surprise even myself – to run a time I didn’t expect. I’m sure the atmosphere will be amazing, and with the energy from the crowd, anything is possible.”
Bence Halász: “I’m very happy with how the recent competition in Banská Bystrica went. At the start of the year, we made changes to my training, and that turned out to be the right decision. My consistency is also improving to a higher level. In previous years, I missed being able to deliver stable performances throughout the season – but this has changed this year. In my heart, the National Athletics Centre is the number one stadium – the track, the throwing circle, everything is perfect – so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s competition.”
Attila Molnár: “The past two months have felt much longer than they really were. After an injury, I returned at the national championships in early August, and now I’m back at 100%. Thinking about the National Athletics Centre, the first thing that comes to mind is my national record set there and the unforgettable atmosphere of the Budapest World Championships. I now share the Hungarian record with Patrik Enyingi, and I hope I can lower it further – maybe even tomorrow in Budapest. I’ve heard the tickets are sold out, so it will be a full house, which gives me extra motivation.”
The 2025 Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix will take place on Tuesday, August 12. The event is organized by the National Event Management Agency in cooperation with the Hungarian Athletics Federation. Alongside the world’s top athletes, numerous Hungarian stars will also compete. The competition will be broadcast live on M4 Sport and online at m4sport.hu. With ticket sales complete, a full house is guaranteed at the National Athletics Centre, with close to 14,000 spectators expected. For more information and the schedule, visit https://gyulaimemorial.hu/and the event’s Facebook page.
