After the initial successes his career suffered a minor setback as he joined the 3rd Imperial Tyrolian Rifle Regiment "(Tiroler Kaiserjäger)" and remained without training and competition opportunities for nearly two years. Szokolyi competed again in October 1893, but the long absence had obvious impact on his results — in the 100 yards and the high jump he remained without any success, while in the 120 yards hurdles he came second behind Menotti Réthy. The next two years passed without significant improvements, subsequently MAC contracted John Cash, an English coach. The combination of Cash's training methods and Szokolyi's tenacious work paid off in early 1896, when at the Olympic test race Szokoly won the 110 metres hurdles race, thus secured a place in the Hungarian Olympic Team.