Natasa Dusev-Janics

Natasa Dusev-Janics in 2012
Personal information
Birth name	Nataša Janić
Nationality	Serbian, Hungarian
Born	(1982-06-24) 24 June 1982 (age 41) Bačka Palanka, SFR Yugoslavia (today in Serbia)
Sport
Sport	Canoe sprint
Club	Szegedi VSE (2001–2012) Győri VSE (2013–)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 2 1 World Championships 20 6 9 European Championships 18 4 2 European Games 0 0 0 Total 41 11 12 Olympic Games 2004 Athens K-1 500 m 2004 Athens K-2 500 m 2008 Beijing K-2 500 m 2008 Beijing K-4 500 m 2012 London K-2 500 m 2012 London K-1 200 m World Championships 2002 Seville K-4 200 m 2003 Gainesville K-4 200 m 2003 Gainesville K-4 1000 m 2005 Zagreb K-2 200 m 2005 Zagreb K-2 500 m 2005 Zagreb K-2 1000 m 2006 Szeged K-2 200 m 2006 Szeged K-2 500 m 2006 Szeged K-2 1000 m 2006 Szeged K-4 200 m 2006 Szeged K-4 500 m 2006 Szeged K-4 1000 m 2007 Duisburg K-1 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-1 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-2 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-4 500 m 2010 Poznań K-1 200 m 2010 Poznań K-2 200 m 2010 Poznań K-4 500 m 2013 Duisburg K–1 200 m Relay 2009 Dartmouth K-1 4 x 200 m 2009 Dartmouth K-4 200 m 2010 Poznań K-1 500 m 2010 Poznań K-1 4 x 200 m 2013 Duisburg K-2 500 m 2015 Milan K-2 200 m European Championships 2004 Poznań K-1 500 m 2005 Poznań K-2 200 m 2005 Poznań K-2 500 m 2005 Poznań K-2 1000 m 2006 Račice K-4 200 m 2006 Račice K-2 500 m 2006 Račice K-4 500 m 2006 Račice K-2 1000 m 2006 Račice K-4 1000 m 2007 Pontevedra K-1 200 m 2009 Brandenburg K-4 200 m 2010 Trasona K-1 200 m 2010 Trasona K-2 200 m 2010 Trasona K-2 500 m 2012 Zagreb K-1 200 m 2012 Zagreb K-2 500 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 200 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-4 500 m 2002 Szeged K-4 200 m 2009 Brandenburg K1-4×200 m 2009 Brandenburg K-2 200 m 2009 Brandenburg K-4 500 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-1 200 m 2013 Montemor-o-Velho K-2 500 m

Natasa Dusev-Janics (Serbian: Nataša Dušev-Janić, Serbian Cyrillic: Наташа Душев-Јанић; born 24 June 1982) is a Yugoslavian-Hungarian sprint canoer who has competed for Hungary since 2001 and has won six Olympic medals in the sprint canoe events.

Early life

Natasa grew up in Serbia and competed for FR Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics before moving to Hungary. She is a daughter of Milan Janić (1957-2003), a Serbian canoer who won a silver medal for Yugoslavia in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Both her brothers, Mićo and Stjepan Janić, are canoers and have competed for Croatia since 2004. They took part in the 2008 Olympics, though Mićo was only nominated as a reserve.^[1][2]

Career

Janics won two Olympic gold medals in the sprint canoe events at the 2004 Summer Olympics, another gold and silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and silver and bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She has also won 26 medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with 20 golds (K-1 200 m: 2007, 2009, 2010; K-2 200 m: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010; K-2 500 m: 2005, 2006; K-2 1000 m: 2005, 2006; K-4 200 m: 2002, 2003, 2006; K-4 500 m: 2006, 2009, 2010; K-4 1000 m: 2003, 2006; K-1 200 m relay: 2013) and six silvers (K-1 500 m: 2010, K-1 4 × 200 m: 2009, 2010; K-2 200 m: 2015; K-2 500 m: 2013; K-4 200 m: 2009).

She was elected Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year in 2004 and 2010. Together with Katalin Kovács she earned the title Hungarian Sportsteam of the year in 2005, 2006 and 2010.

On 4 October 2012 it was revealed that she made a decision to return and compete under the flag of her native country, Serbia.^[3] On 9 March 2013 she informed the Hungarian Canoe Federation in a letter about changing her mind and her wish to compete for Hungary during her professional career.^[4]

She's been suffering from a herniated disc in her neck since 2012; in 2019 she has stated that it's reached a point where she is considering retirement.^[5]

Awards

• Yugoslav Young Athlete of the Year: 2000
• Hungarian kayaker of the Year (4): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010
• Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year (2) - votes of sports journalists: 2004, 2010
• Hungarian Athlete of the Year (1) - the National Sports Association (NSSZ) awards: 2004
• Person of the Year by Magyar Szó: 2004
• Member of the Hungarian team of year (with Katalin Kovács): 2005, 2006, 2010
• Príma Primissima award (2006)
• Pro Universitate (2008)

Orders and special awards

• Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Officer's Cross (2004)
• Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary – Commander's Cross (2008)
• Order of Merit of Hungary – Commander's Cross with Star (2012)