The name of Paulina Fialkova increasingly began to sound in biathlon broadcasts at the end of 2018. The athlete, who had previously taken places from the thirties to seventies in the overall standings, did not please the fans with bright victories. And in December 2018, Paulina first takes bronze in the pursuit, and at the next stage he reaffirms himself in this discipline, but with a silver medal. So what kind of athlete is this with such a memorable combination of a wonderful name and a flower surname?
Childhood
Paulina Fialkova - Slovak. She was born on January 25, 1992 in the Slovak city of Black Balog. Her dad brought her to biathlon - literally brought her by the handle at the age of eight. Initially, this sport did not seem very interesting to the girl, but soon she changed her mind. Cause? New friends appeared, training with whom became very interesting.
Biathlon. Carier start
Serious starts began in the life of Paulina in 2010, it was worth only to celebrate the 18th anniversary. It was a sprint at the IBU Cup stage, in which the girl took the honorable place for the debutant 9th place. It was not possible to distinguish themselves in other races, but Paulina already understood the most important thing for herself - she could well compete with more experienced and eminent competitors.
2012 brought the first big start to the biathlete - the relay race at the World Cup, which was held in Ruhpolding. The teammates were much older and more experienced - Kuzmina, Khrapanova, Gerekova. The team then took 8th place largely due to the “efforts” of Paulina, who went into the penalty loop. But such a baptism of fire gave the 19-year-old athlete an invaluable biathlon experience.
Then there was the junior championship in 2013, where Paulina’s best result was fourth place, and the summer summer biathlon world championship among juniors in the 2013-2014 season, where the athlete became a two-time champion. And then the Slovak coaches said: “Ready”, and Paulina Fialkova went into the biathlon of the Major League.
Biathlon. Becoming an athlete
Paulina had to show her strength in the team in a difficult Olympic season. In the team that arrived in Sochi, the girl was the youngest member of the team. She went to the track in a sprint and, alas, could not cope with the shooting. Five misses for the sprint, where only two shots are an impermissible luxury, and Paulina Fialkova finished in 72nd position.
They say that no one reproaches himself so much for a failed start as the athlete himself. Paulina fully felt this on herself. She considered the result in Sochi to be her failure, therefore, having returned home after the Olympics, she tried to occupy her head with anything, just to not recall the biathlon. And suddenly - a call: "Paulina, the team needs you, we are going to the stage in Finland, get ready."
It was in Finland, at the stage in Kontiolahti, that the biathlete realized how strongly nervousness and mood influence athletes: “I competed calmly and thought to myself that the season was mostly over and I had nothing to lose. I went onto the track without tension and was in tenth place. "
For the girl at that time it was the best result in her career - but at that time she was only 21 years old. Then followed 24th, 28th and 34th places - Fialkova already believed in herself.
The World Winter Universiade was held in Orsblia - Paulina's home track. She could not miss such a chance and took part in it with pleasure. The result is a set of medals for first, second and third place. Gold, silver and bronze - the best could not be expected.
Season 2014-2015 Paulina completed the 73rd in the total. In the season 2015-2016 - already 36th place. Further, the biathlete continues to progress - after another year - in 2016-2017 - her place in the overall standings was already 31st. When she ends the season 2017-2018 at number 32 in the overall standings (among the strongest biathletes in the world), it becomes clear that soon the name Paulina Fialkova (Slovakia) will be pronounced on air in different languages.
Season 2018-2019 - along with the strongest
The strongest start of the athlete can be observed from the very beginning of the season 2018-2019. In the individual race of the first stage in Pokljuka, Fialkova runs fourth, and in the pursuit, starting from 6th place and not making a single miss, Paulina first climbs the podium at the World Cup stage, taking third place.
Hochfilzen (Austria) - the second stage of the World Cup in the season 2018-2019. And here Paulina is not just loudly declaring herself, here she shows the level of a true professional in the pursuit. Starting after the seventh sprint, Fialkova won silver in the pursuit, losing only to the recognized champion - Finnish Kaise Makarainen.
Whatever the stage, the podium is a good tradition for the 26-year-old athlete
The Sisters of Fialkova
Paulina is not the only biathlete with a "floral" surname. Yvon's sister is 2 years younger than her more titled relative. Yvona is a participant in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. Both girls are included in the Slovak national biathlon team, but the eldest is in the main group, and the youngest is in the reserve. Sisters train together, and, according to friends, they are very friendly. Outwardly, by the way, the girls are very similar
Not only an athlete, but also a beauty
Fans surrounded Paulina long before her hits on the podium of the World Cup stages. After all, if not for biathlon, then the girl could have made a successful career as a model. The athlete is really very beautiful - Paulina Fialkova in the photo captivates with her charm. In an interview, she shares her beauty secrets - for example, excludes carbohydrates, giving preference to meat, vegetables and dairy products. Such a diet and regular physical activity are the key to health and beauty, says Paulina Fialkova. Photos in a swimsuit from a summer vacation in the offseason gain a lot of likes.
Paulina already has bronze and silver in the World Cup. Will gold appear there? We’ll wait and see, but this charming athlete would like to wish more successful starts.