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Kristof Milak to miss World Swimming Championships

Hungary’s Kristof Milak will miss the World Swimming Championships in July and August due to health problems and a lack of motivation.

“We discussed it, I think this is the right decision,” Milak’s coach Almos Szabo said, according to a translation of a Hungarian swimming federation press release. “I also support this because we all know that in Kristof’s case the bar is the highest, meaning if the preparation is incomplete, then it is obvious: Kristof Milak will not travel to a world championship if he does not have a chance to win there.”

Milak has dealt with upper respiratory issues, plus had a surgery this spring, the coach said.

“Since we have been working together, he has had this kind of illness five times, which is why he underwent more serious tests, where it turned out that these problems were also connected to his existing asthma,” Szabo said. “Unfortunately, Kristof is not in the best of health, and this is the only reason why he has not been able to do proper training.”

When Milak has trained, “he did brilliant things, it’s amazing what potential he has,” Szabo said. “At the same time, the fact is that he lacks the inner fire – and I can’t turn it on. I can push buttons on him, but I don’t have access to it, it depends solely on him. If he lights up in the future, he can do very big things again.”

Milak, 25, won gold and silver medals each in the 100m and 200m butterflies at the last two Olympics.

In the 100m fly, the world’s fastest men in 2025 are Swiss Noe Ponti (50.27 seconds) and Canadians Ilya Kharun (50.37) and Josh Liendo (50.46).

In the 200m fly, the top men in 2025 are American Luca Urlando (1:52.37), Kharun (1:53.41) and American Carson Foster (1:53.70).

France’s Leon Marchand, the Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 200m fly, has not raced the event in 2025 and has yet to announce which events he will swim at worlds in Singapore.