When he was 15 years old, he won a silver medal (with 2.10.80) in the men's 200-metre breaststroke at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

His coaches are Sándor Széles, Ferenc Kovácshegyi and Balázs Virth.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships he won gold medal in 200 m breaststroke, edging out Eric Shanteau in the last meters.

At the 2012 London Olympics he won the gold medal and set a new world record for the 200 m breaststroke.

[6][7] Later, Gyurta received the international Fair Play Award from UNESCO, in respect of his medal tribute of a fallen fellow breaststroker: Alexander Dale Oen.