Zsofia Balazs

Biography

Please note: the information below is accurate as of the London 2012 Olympic Games and will be updated in advance of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In her Olympic debut, Zsofia Balazs competed as a 22-year-old and finished in 18th place in the 10km open-water Swimming event. She earned an Olympic berth for Canada by finishing sixth in the 10 km FINA Olympic marathon swimming qualifier in June.

Balazs is the first Canadian woman to gain a spot in the Olympic marathon swimming race since the event appeared in 2008. In 2011, Balazs finished in the top-10 at the Pan American Games. She also qualified and competed in the FINA World Aquatic Championships. She represented Canada at the 2007 Pan American Games and finished just off the podium in the 200m butterfly event by finishing fourth. Balazs won the national championship in open water in three consecutive years (2006-2009). She won her first in-pool national title in 2010.

Balazs and her family immigrated to Canada in 2004 from Hungry. Balazs qualified for the 2005 Canada Games Team and won silver in the 200m butterfly. She went on to win her fist open-water national title the following year in 2006.