World record holder from Tokyo: EYOF is something new for me, I am gaining experience

Zuzana Rehák Štefečeková won a gold medal in sports shooting at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. In the trap qualification, she even holds a world record that no one will ever break. For the successful 38-year-old, this multi-sport event is a completely new experience.

“I admit that this is my first ever participation in such an event. When I was the age of these athletes, we never took part in EYOF, because sports shooting was not in the program. So I did not even know about the event. It is something completely new to me. I am trying to get to know the event and gain experience. It is amazing that even though it is called a festival, it is actually a mini Olympics. Young athletes can meet and get to know each other here. It is primarily about sports and performances, but I personally enjoyed contacts, experiences, and new things more at that age,” said Rehák Štefečeková.

The native of Nitra is among those visiting EYOF in Banská Bystrica. “It is a very pleasant experience. I think that Slovak athletes and the Slovak public perceive it more. I admit that I took photos three times today in completely different places than at EYOF. I did not even have accreditation, and people recognized me. It’s an honor, but it’s also a sign that I’m old (laugh).”

The successful participant of three Olympic Games recalled the times when she was of the age of the EYOF 2022 participants. “I was very focused on results. When we went to competitions, I only knew German, so apart from talking to Germans and Austrians, I didn’t communicate much. Moreover, there were not many of us at that young age; there were six to eight junior girls. Then I shot in the women’s category, and there was already a generational difference. As a result, I was almost always with our team. For me, the first competition of the EYOF dimensions was the Universiade, which I competed in at the age of 23 (in Bangkok 2007, Ed.). That was the first contact for me with something big, where there are also other athletes, other sports, and you can live a community life.”

On Sunday, EYOF 2022 officially started in Banská Bystrica with the opening ceremony under the Slovak National Uprising Monument. For many young athletes, marching under the flag of their country was a premiere. How does the flag bearer of the Slovak expedition from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics remember the opening ceremonies? “I was at the opening ceremony for the first time at the Universiade. There were huge emotions there, and it was very nice. However, the greatest experience I have is from the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. The opening ceremony is an all-day affair; at two in the afternoon you are loaded onto the bus, at ten in the evening you are at the stadium, and at three in the morning you are at the accommodation. It is physically demanding. I remember that we stood in rows and moved only half a meter forward. The most beautiful moment for me was when we entered the interior of the stadium. The stadium went wild. Even today, I get chills when I think about it. We compared it to the moment when gladiators in Rome entered the Colosseum and went to fight. The moments when we went out to the stadium are unforgettable. Then we did a lap around the stadium, which we covered very quickly. I don’t even know how a local woman in high heels managed to run behind us. Seeing the lighting of the Olympic flame was also a huge and emotional experience. I was still at home at the time of the opening ceremony at the London 2012 Games.”

The Games in Tokyo, including their opening ceremony, were marred by the pandemic. “In Tokyo, I was the flag bearer of the Slovak team at the opening ceremony. I was very excited because everyone at home and around the world saw it. But it was very sad there. I wanted to stay until the end of the opening ceremony, but when we went out to the stadium and saw only stickers instead of people, I got the feeling that I probably did not want to stay here. That was the only moment when I really realized that it was a pandemic Olympics. I really missed the audience. Hats off to the volunteers, who stayed there dancing for hours, just so the athletes had someone to wave to, because it was very empty and quiet,” the holder of a total of three medals from the Olympic Games recalls her experiences.

The Olympic champion is a great role model for children. She meets many at elementary schools, where she travels to present sports shooting. According to her, EYOF is very important for young athletes. “They mainly need to compare themselves with their peers in the same age category from other countries. They might not make it to the top events yet because they don’t meet the cutoffs, but they can make it to the EYOF. And they get a chance to see how the real Olympics work because it’s very similar. This is how we live, we eat in one tent, we have the opportunity to watch other sports. This is a big advantage over the Olympic Games. For example, a swimmer finishes a competition and can go see judo or other sports. We do not have this option at the Olympic Games. And what I really like is that everything is here together and they have everything immediately available. They have the opportunity to see and meet other athletes. We often only know each other from the Olympic village, but we do not get to the real sports field.”

And which sports will you not miss during the EYOF in Banská Bystrica? “I like to watch athletics and swimming. But I know that there is also badminton in Štiavničky. I’m open to all sports, but I’ll admit that I’m the biggest fan when our representatives are in action. This means that when they tell me basketball, I go to basketball, even if it is not directly in Banská Bystrica. But most of all, I would like to see our athletes compete,” Rehák Štefečeková says with a smile.

On Monday, a photo of ambassador of the event, Danka Barteková, cheering on young athletes appeared. “I am exactly the type who can’t talk after a match or competition because I lose my voice from cheering so much. I am the one who can be heard even in the pool (laugh),” added successful Slovakian.