BUDAPEST, Feb 19, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Training starts with playful exercises for 2019 world epee champion and Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Gergely Siklosi before he breaks sweat in fierce duels with his fellow Hungarian fencers.

The 26-year-old is training hard at Aladar Gerevich National Sportshall in Budapest to get back to the top.

He suffered some setbacks in recent competitions, dropping to 11th place on the world rankings.

Yet, he still has high hopes for the Paris Olympics this summer.

"We have team-oriented qualifications. If the team qualifies, there is a good chance that we will get three qualification quotas for individuals. Whereas if only I would qualify individually, the country would only have one quota" Siklosi told AFP.

He is optimistic about the team's chances at tthe Heidenheimer Pokal in late February and at the Buenos Aires Omar Vergara World Cup in March.

"We are in a good position, we don't need to do a huge feat in the last two competitions, but we want to come home with medals," he added.

- 'Healthy rivalry' -

The young fencer previously demonstrated he was ready to put the team first last July when in the semi-finals, he faced his teammate Mate Koch at the World Championships in Milan.

After losing by one point in a dramatic bout on the piste, he hugged Koch, congratulating him on the win.

"I wanted to avoid repeating the events of the 2019 World Championship, where I won the individual competition, but couldn't do as well with the team."

"I said to myself there that it's not a problem, I want to be the most useful as a part of the team, I can't be angry because I already have a world title and we want to get an Olympic championship together" Siklosi recalled.

According to him, he and the three other members of Hungary's national team have a close relationship.

"I respect them, and we love each other very much, I feel. We work together every day... We can discuss everything, any (interpersonal) conflicts, but there is not much. We can absolutely have a healthy rivalry, and we even tease each other about it."

- Army sergeant -

Siklosi also learned the value of teamwork at the Hungarian Defence Forces, which he joined in 2017.

He is a sergeant of the army's Sports Company made up exclusively of elite sportsmen and women.

The young fencer credits basic training and the military's hierarchical system for giving him discipline, a good stance, and a lot of other positive benefits, which he can put to good both on and outside of the piste.

As a fencer, Siklosi follows an intensive regimen around the clock, with general training sessions twice a day, long-distance running exercises over the weekend and regular visits to the psychologist.

He strives to be in tip-top shape both physically and mentally for the Olympics.

Siklosi is mostly afraid of the French rivals as he believes they "will be strong in absolute terms on their home turf" at the Olympics.

But he stressed the whole field is evenly matched, so "everybody has to be treated with the proper humility and attention."

"It's a sport where I could easily end up being either the last or the first at the Olympics."