Ágota Tóth

Ágota Lykovcán (née Tóth; born 2 September 1987) is a Hungarian long track speed skater who participates in international competitions. She was previously known as Ágota Tóth, but after she got married on 10 November 2012, she took her husband's surname. Lykovcán is the current holder of the Hungarian record on 500 metres.

Skating career

Lykovcán's father, a former world champion weightlifter, showed her the beauty of the sport and took her to the City Park Ice Rink in Budapest. First she did figure skating but quickly switched to speed skating when she was 10. At her first event after one month she finished at the first place and then she had broken all national records in every age group and still holds them. Thanks to her educator coach Zsolt Baló, a former speed skater who has competed at four Olympics, Lykovcán qualified for the 2006 Olympics in Turin and earned her first World Cup point in 2003 when she was 16.

After 2006 a break point occurred in her career when her coach moved to Canada with his family and the only ice rink in Hungary closed. Due to the lack of training possibilities, Lykovcán had to train alone mostly abroad for many years to keep up at international level.

In 2011 Lykovcán had the chance to work with Jeremy Wotherspoon at KIA Speed Skating Academy in Inzell. The professional training method resulted in new personal bests, and she qualified to the European Championship, World Cups and Sprint World Championship as well.

Lykovcán prefers shorter distances (500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m), although she competes allround. Her best results have all come from 500 m (WC point 2003, 4th in Junior Worlds) and 1000 m (Olympic qualification 2006).

Personal records

Career highlights

World Sprint Championships 2006 - Heerenveen, 35th 2013 - Salt Lake City, 31st European Allround Championships 2007 - Collalbo, 27th 2008 - Kolomna, 24th 2009 - Heerenveen, 27th 2010 - Hamar, 26th 2011 - Collalbo, 22nd 2012 - Budapest, 22nd 2013 - Heerenveen, 22nd World Junior Allround Championships 2003 - Kushiro, 32nd 2004 - Roseville, 29th 2005 - Seinäjoki, 27th

National Championships 2001 - Budapest, 3rd at sprint 2002 - Budapest, 2nd at sprint 2003 - Budapest, 3rd at allround 2003 - Budapest, 2nd at sprint 2004 - Budapest, 2nd at allround 2004 - Budapest, 2nd at sprint 2005 - Budapest, 1st at allround 2005 - Budapest, 1st at sprint 2007 - Budapest, 1st at allround 2007 - Budapest, 1st at sprint 2008 - Budapest, 1st at allround 2008 - Budapest, 1st at sprint 2012 - Budapest, 1st at allround 2013 - Budapest, 1st at allround