- Title: Hungarians grab their partners in nation's wife-carrying contest
- Date: 9th August 2021
- Summary: TAPIOBICSKE, HUNGARY (AUGUST 7, 2021) (REUTERS) COMPETITORS AT START TAKING THEIR POSITIONS, MEN PUTTING THEIR PARTNERS ON THEIR BACKS RACE STARTING / MEN CARRYING PARTNERS THROUGH WATER MEN CARRYING PARTNERS THROUGH WATER COMPETITOR RUNNING MAN SLIPPING INTO WATER AND DROPPING HIS PARTNER VARIOUS OF RACE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) RACE ORGANISER, GERGELY GURALY, SAYING: "The rise in the number of participants is due to the fact that we have put more energy into it, we have been calling for participants since January. We decided to ahead with it this summer by all means because we have just emerged from a difficult period due to the coronavirus and we need to go and have fun in the open air and try to take a deep breath and leave this difficult period behind." SLOW-MOTION SHOT OF COUPLE FALLING INTO WATER (MUTE) COUPLES FALLING INTO WATER AND CLIMBING OUT COUPLE MARK AND ANETT MAZACS DEMONSTRATING CARRYING POSITION (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) RACE PARTICIPANTS, MARK AND ANETT MAZACS, SAYING: MARK: "You could train for this if there is time and space, mostly by trying carrying positions." ANETT: "We have tried it too." MARKl "We devised a strategy, figuring out the best way of carrying my wife on my back." MARK CARRYING ANETT DURING THE RACE (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) RACE PARTICIPANT, ANETT MAZACS, SAYING: "It was really great. It was absolutely worth it." MAN CARRYING PARTNER OVER HAY BALES / RUNNING RACE PARTICIPANT CSABA BERTALAN CARRYING HIS WIFE THROUGH WATER BERTALAN RECEIVING MEDAL (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) CSABA BERTALAN SAYING: "It was fantastic. It was good to have a splash in this heat." VARIOUS OF RACE IN PROGRESS WINNING COUPLE WALKING ONTO PODIUM WINNING COUPLE BEING AWARDED PRIZES WINNING HUSBAND JANOS KOVACS CARRYING PRIZE BEER (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) WINNING HUSBAND, JANOS KOVACS, SAYING: "We tried all sorts of positions - a fireman's hold, carrying her on my shoulder, on my back and it worked in the end." SLOW-MOTION OF KOVACS CARRYING WIFE ACROSS WATER (MUTE)
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2021 13:03
- Keywords: Hungary wife carrying wife carrying contest
- Location: TAPIOBICSKE, HUNGARY
- City: TAPIOBICSKE, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Europe,Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001EPK6P21
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Some 40 Hungarian husbands, with their wives on their backs, clambered over rough terrain on Saturday (August 7) in the nation's second wife-carrying contest.
A previous race in October attracted only a dozen couples.
"We have just emerged from a difficult period due to the coronavirus and we need to go and have fun in the open air," Gergely Guraly, who organised the race, told Reuters.
Guraly began preparations in January for the contest, which is said to have origins dating back to the Viking age.
In modern times, the tradition is particularly established in Finland, where it has taken place since the 1990s.
Estonian races have lent their name to the Estonian style of wife-carrying, with the wife upside down and her feet over her husband's shoulders, rather than a classic piggyback.
Mark Mazacs and his wife Anett chose the piggyback technique.
"We devised a strategy, figuring out the best way of carrying my wife on my back," Mark Mazacs said.
"It was really great. It was absolutely worth it," his wife Anett added.
(Production: Krisztina Fenyo, Paul Warren, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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