9/11/2018 - "WORK HARD PAYS OFF!"

9Nov18

Slovakia’s Zuzana Rehak Stefecekova is not new to shooting sport podiums: she’s a two-time Olympic silver medalist, she won 11 ISSF World Cup medals — along with the 10 she claimed at various editions of the European Championship — and she’s constantly roaming around the top positions of the international World Ranking in Trap Women.

However, her performance at the 2018 ISSF World Championship in Changwon (KOR) was unbelievable: in the 24 hours between the 6th and the 7th of September, Stefecekova climbed on the highest step of the podium twice, ruling both the Trap individual and mixed team finals, and securing two Olympic quota places.

How do you feel at the end of such an amazing competition?

I’m so excited! I didn’t expect this result, it was hard even to imagine it! I can hardly find the words to describe my feelings, But I think the medals can speak for themselves.

How did you prepare for this specific event?

We worked very hard in the two days before the match, and it definitely paid off. In this range, every zero can make the difference and I like it a lot, it’s very similar to the one I use to train in Slovakia, I like ranges with woods in the background.

What was the biggest challenge toy had to face during the event?

During the final the biggest issue for us was the visibility. The light was very low because of the cloudy weather, and we both struggled a little bit to see the targets. Rain wasn’t a problem, it comes from the nature and you can’t really do much about it.

Physically, the fact that in this event we have to take a seat between rounds actually helped us, Erik had a serious accident a couple of years ago and the format of this event allow him to take a break and recover, even if for a short time.

How important it is to have your sponsors alongside you?

It’s crucial. They really help a lot. And it’s not just about financial support, or providing guns and ammos, which are great, but the fact that they trust me it also helps a lot, it gives me even more self-confidence.

Do you want to send out any special dedication?

My family didn’t travel with me, but these gold medals is definitely for them, my husband and my son, who are making it on their own in these days.