Béla Rajki-Reich (2 February 1909 – 20 July 2000) was a Hungarian swimming and water polo coach.[1] [2]
Rajki was born in Budapest.[1] He was a swimmer and a water polo player early in his life.[1] He received coaching diplomas in swimming and diving, and was a lecturer at the Hungarian College of Physical Education and Sports.[1]
From 1948–67 he was director of Hungary's National Sport Swimming Pool, and from 1947–73 he was technical director and national coach of the Hungarian Swimming and Water Polo Teams.[1] [2]
He was head coach of the Hungarian 1948 Olympic Swimming Team, which won a gold medal (Eva Novak; 200m breaststroke).[1] He coached the country's swimming and water polo Olympic teams of 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.[1] His water polo team won a gold medal, and four swimmers won a gold medal.[1] In 1956, he coached the water polo team which won a gold medal, and the team won a silver medal in 1972 at the Munich Olympics.[1] [2] [3]
He was a Bureau member of Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) from 1952 to 1960, and a FINA vice president from 1960 to 1964.[1] [4] He was also a member of the International Water Polo Board from 1952 to 1964 (Chairman from 1960 to 1964).[1] In 1996, at age 86, he was still a member of the Hungarian Olympic Committee.[1] [2]
He authored The Techniques of Competitive Swimming (1956), Water Polo (1958), and Teaching to Swim, Learning to Swim (1978).[1] He also wrote over 250 articles and periodical studies in the sport.[1] [2]
The International Swimming Hall of Fame honored him in 1996.[1] [5] He was also inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[2] [6]