Agoston Schulek, former EA Vice President, passes away

MonteCarloThe IAAF is saddened by the news that Dr. Agoston Schulek, a former European Athletics Vice President, has passed away on Sunday (2) after a short illness. He was 68.

Schulek served the European Athletics as a Vice President from 1995 to 2007. In recognition of his years of dedicated service to athletics, Schulek was named an Honorary Member of the European Athletics Council in 2008.

Schulek was born into a family of eight children in 1943, and acquired a love for athletics early in life. As an athlete he excelled in the Pole Vault, winning three national titles and breaking the Hungarian record in the event on seven occasions. He represented Hungary 15 times and in 1970 he ninth at the European Indoor Championships.

Following his career on a track, Schulek continued his involvement in the sport as a coach, educator, scholar and administrator where he will be remembered not only for his numerous successes, but for his friendly, empathetic and optimistic demeanor. In 1987 we became the head coach for the Hungarian Athletics Association and in 1991 began his decade-long position as the President of the national federation.

Schulek served as an Associate Professor at the Semmelweiss University Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences and later as the University's Vice Rector. From 2000, he was the head of the Physical Education Department at Szent István University in Gödöllo, near Budapest.

Schulek was also a member of the Presidency of the Hungarian Olympic Committee from 1991 until 2001, and again from 2009 to the present. In 2003 he was awarded the IAAF Veterans' Pin and was also honoured by the Hungarian Government in 2010.

IAAF