Dávid Betlehem (born 4 September 2003) is a Hungarian competitive pool and open water swimmer, who won a bronze medal representing Hungary at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 10 km open water marathon.
At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, he won a silver medal in the open water 4×1500 metre team relay. At the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, he won a bronze medal in the 5 kilometre open water team relay. At the 2022 World Junior Open Water Championships, he won gold medals in the 10 kilometre open water swim and team relay. He won the silver medal in the 1500 metre freestyle at the 2021 European Junior Swimming Championships.
Background Betlehem was born 4 September 2003 in Szombathely, Hungary, and has trained primarily with coach László Szokolai as part of the Balaton Úszó Klub swim club."Betlehem Dávid" (in Hungarian). Hungarian Swimming Association. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
In the Fall of 2024, after his August 2024 bronze Olympic medal in Paris, he enrolled briefly at North Carolina State University where he was trained by Head Coach Braden Holloway. The University did not support his marathon training, as most of the team were training for standard swim distances, and Betlehem left the University in the late Fall of 2024. Though he was eventually banned from training at North Carolina, he was kind and considerate in his public statement about his experience at the University.
Career 2018 At the 2018 FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, held in September in the Gulf of Eilat by Eilat, Israel, Betlehem won the bronze medal in the 5 kilometre open water swim with a time of 58 minutes and 56.5 seconds, finishing less than three seconds behind gold medalist Aleksandr Stepanov of Russia and one second behind silver medalist Ivan Morgun of Russia.FINA (6 September 2018). "Eilat 2018: Fina World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships: Results 5 Km". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
2021 Betlehem started his competition at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships, held in Budapest, Hungary, with the 5 kilometre open water swim on 12 May 2021, placing twelfth with a time of 56:00.4.LEN (12 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 5km Men". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 23 July 2022. Three days later, he won a bronze medal as part of the 5 kilometre open water team relay, contributing to a final time of 54 minutes and 18.5 seconds with relay teammates Réka Rohács, Anna Olasz, and Kristóf Rasovszky.LEN (15 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 5km Team Event". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 23 July 2022. For his third and final event, the 1500 metre freestyle held as part of pool swimming competition, he swam a time of 15:18.18 in the preliminaries on 18 May, placing twelfth overall.LEN (18 May 2021). "Hungary 2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships: Results 1500m Freestyle Men Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
Two months later, at the 2021 European Junior Swimming Championships, held at Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto in Rome, Italy, Betlehem won the bronze medal in the 1500 metre freestyle with a personal best time of 15:02.28.LEN (12 July 2021). "LEN European Junior Swimming Championships Rome – Italy: Complete Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 23 July 2022.Bruckner, Vince (8 July 2021). "Úszás: Betlehem Dávid ujjhegynyivel maradt le az aranyról 1500 m gyorson a római junior Eb-n" (in Hungarian). utanpotlassport.hu. Retrieved 23 July 2022."Betlehem Dávid ezüstérmes a junior úszó-Eb-n" (in Hungarian). Origo. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022. In November, he competed at the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships, conducted at the Palace of Water Sports in Kazan, Russia, placing seventh in the 800 metre freestyle, eleventh in the 1500 metre freestyle, and seventeenth in the 400 metre freestyle.LEN (7 November 2021). "2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships Kazan (RUS): Complete Results Book". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 23 July 2022. The following month, as part of the first ever FINA 4×1500 metre mixed gender open water team relay event, contested at the Abu Dhabi Aquatics Festival in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for the last leg of the 2021 Marathon Swim World Series, he swam the third leg of the relay to help win the silver medal in a final time of 1:06:51.7."Italy wins inaugural Open Water Mixed Team Relay in Abu Dhabi". FINA. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
2022 World open water season beginnings In May 2022, on the first day of the first leg of the 2022 Marathon Swim World Series, held at Albarquel in Setúbal, Portugal, Betlehem placed seventh in the 10 kilometre swim with a time of 1:55:14.70."FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2022 – Leg 1: Results Men 10km". FINA. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022. The next day, he won a bronze medal as part of the 4×1500 metre team relay event."FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2022 – Leg 1: Results Mixed 4x1500m". FINA. 29 May 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022. At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships the following month, with open water swimming contested in the waters of Lupa Lake in Budapest, Hungary, he started off with a silver medal in the 4×1500 metre open water team relay, helping finish less than three seconds behind the gold medal team from Germany in 1:04:43.0.Pérez, Marta (26 June 2022). "España, descalificada en el relevo de 4x1500 de aguas abiertas" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 23 July 2022. In the 5 kilometre open water swim the following day, 27 June, he placed seventh with a time of 54 minutes and 22.0 seconds."Vizes vb: Betlehem Dávid hetedik, Rasovszky célfotóval kilencedik 5 kilométeren" (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Sport. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022. For his final event, on 29 June, Betlehem persisted to be the only male swimmer representing Hungary to cross the finish line in the 10 kilometre open water swim, after teammate Kristóf Rasovszky was kicked in the stomach and had to withdraw from competition halfway through the race for medical reasons, placing fifth in a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes and 29.8 seconds."A 18 éves Betlehem Dávid 5., Rasovszkyt hasba rúgták, ezért feladta" (in Hungarian). 24.hu. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
At the second leg of the 2022 Marathon Swim World Series, held in early July at Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, Betlehem initially placed third in the 10 kilometre swim with a time of 1 hour, 51 minutes and 41.95 seconds."Nuoto: World Series Fondo; Paltrinieri vince a Parigi" (in Italian). ANSA. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022. However, FINA updated the medals and times for the event to change his placing from third to fourth after reviewing the results post-competition, instead allocating the medal to Nicholas Sloman of Australia."FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2022 – Leg 2: Results Men 10km". FINA. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
2022 Hungarian Open Water Championships Later in the month, at the 2022 Hungarian National Open Water Championships, Betlehem was the fastest male competitor of all ages, junior and senior, with a time of 1:52:26.5, however due to his age, 18 years old, he was too young to be eligible for a senior title, thus he won the junior national title instead of the senior national title."Rasovszky és Olasz újra bajnok, de a juniorok már a nyakukon" (in Hungarian). Hungarian Swimming Association. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022."Betlehem Dávid volt a leggyorsabb, de Rasovszky Kristóf a magyar bajnok a nyíltvízi úszóknál" (in Hungarian). M4 Sport. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
2022 European Aquatics Championships Betlehem was one of two Hungarian swimmers named to the official roster for Hungary in both pool swimming and open water swimming for the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, held in August in Rome, Italy."The Hungarian swimming team ready for Roma 2022. Aces Milák and Hosszú expected to shine" . roma2022.eu. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022. The first day of open water swimming competition at the Championships, 20 August, he placed seventh in the 5 kilometre open water swim, finishing in a time of 52:34.6, which was 21.1 seconds behind gold medalist Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy."Vizes Eb – Ilyen eredmények születtek a nyíltvízi úszás 5 kilométeres versenyében" (in Hungarian). alon.hu. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022."Kopasz arany-, az 500-as női kenukettes ezüstérmes; nem a magyaroké volt az 5 km-es nyíltvízi úszás – élő hírfolyam az Eb-k szombati napjáról" (in Hungarian). M4 Sport. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022."Betlehem Dávid (18) hetedik lett 5 km-en a római felnőtt Európa-bajnokságon" (in Hungarian). utanpotlassport.hu. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022. Originally, he was supposed to compete with the other swimmers in the event on 18 August, however extreme weather and waves resulted in all competitors competing two days after the intended date."Óriási hullámokkal is meg kellett küzdeniük a magyar úszóknak" (in Hungarian). Magyar Nemzet. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022. In his first event on the final day, 21 August, he finished in a time of 1:51:09.8 in the 10 kilometre open water swim, placing ninth.Kovács, Erika (21 August 2022). "Vizes Eb: Rasovszky és Olasz hatodik tíz kilométeren" (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2022."Rasovszky Kristóf és Olasz Anna is hatodik, Betlehem Dávid kilencedik tíz kilométeren" (in Hungarian). M4 Sport. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022. Finishing off the Championships with the open water mixed team relay later in the day, he helped win the silver medal in a time of 59:53.9, swimming the third leg of the relay."Ezüstérmet szerzett a magyar váltó a nyíltvízi úszók csapatversenyében" (in Hungarian). beol.hu. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
World open water season conclusion Less than one week later, Betlehem won the bronze medal in the 10 kilometre open water swim at leg three of the 2022 Marathon Swim World Series, held at Lake Mégantic in Lac-Mégantic, Canada, finishing in a time of 1:50:52.00 and bringing his total ranking across the first three legs of the World Series up to third."FINA Marathon Swim World Series 2022 – Leg 3: Results Men 10km". FINA. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022."Betlehem Dávid első egyéni dobogója – Rasovszky már vezet összetettben". Hungarian Swimming Association. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.Csurka, Gergely (28 August 2022). "Nyílt vízi úszás: Betlehem Dávid első egyéni vk-dobogója" (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Sport. Retrieved 28 August 2022. In September, at the 2022 World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Seychelles, he won the gold medal in the 10 kilometre open water swim with a time of 1:53:10.30."FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships 2022: Results Men 10km". FINA. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022."Junior nyílt vízi úszó-vb: Betlehem Dávid és Fábián Bettina is aranyérmes". Nemzeti Sport. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022. The following day, he helped win the gold medal in the 4×1500 metre open water relay, anchoring the relay to a first-place finish and a final time of 1:11:20.10."FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships 2022: Mixed 4x1500m". FINA. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022. Two months later, at the final leg of the World Series, in November in Eilat, Israel, he won the bronze medal in the 10 kilometre open water swim with a time of 1:46:44.20 and ranked as the third overall highest-scoring male competitor across the entire World Series circuit."Paltrinieri, Rasovszky share men's 10km overall title of Marathon Swim World Series". China Internet Information Center. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
2022 Hungarian Short Course Championships