Nickname
Barbi, Barcha, Barcinka (Instagram profile, 29 Sep 2021; fig-gymnastics.com, 11 Sep 2015; baku2015.com, 14 Jun 2015)
Hobbies
Swimming. (Facebook page, 22 Sep 2019)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Sport Studies - Comenius University: Bratislava, SVK
Spoken languages
English, German, Slovak
Club
Slavia Gymnasticke Centrum: Bratislava, SVK
Coach
Martin Zvalo [personal], from 2011
Injuries
She competed at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, despite sustaining a tear to the plantar fascia in her left foot one week before the start of the tournament. The injury continued to disrupt her training for the following three years and she underwent surgery in January 2023. (intlgymnast.com, 18 Jul 2023; sport.aktuality.sk, 09 Dec 2019)
In 2018 she fell from the balance beam and tore ligaments in her right ankle during a training camp in Gyor, Hungary. She underwent surgery on the injury and took nine months to recover. (sport.pravda.sk, 21 Oct 2019; insidethegames.biz, 22 May 2019; sport.aktuality.sk, 20 Oct 2018)
In early 2017 she sustained an injury to her shoulder. (sport.aktuality.sk, 18 Apr 2017)
Start sporting career
She took up the sport at age four.
Reason for taking up the sport
"I was raised in a gym. My mum was a gymnastics trainer and I was a restless child. I went to train with her and I always got lost somewhere. At the age of four she pushed me onto a mat and I stayed with it. I basically didn't have a chance of doing any other sport."
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (intlgymnast.com, 18 Jul 2023)
Philosophy / Motto
"Do what you love and love what you do." (intlgymnast.com, 18 Jul 2023)
Awards
She was named Slovak Female Gymnast of the Year for each year between 2014 and 2022. (intlgymnast.com, 18 Jul 2023)
Additional information
TALL STATURE
At 168 centimetres, she is considered one of the taller gymnasts on the international circuit. "Everything has pros and cons. When tall gymnasts do air movements and exercises, they seem to take up more space compared to smaller gymnasts. When I change [on uneven bars] I need to be exact to the millimetre so my feet don't hit the mats. However, I no longer think about it. I have learned to exercise with my height and look for advantages in it." (sport.aktuality.sk, 09 Dec 2019, 20 Oct 2018)
Last update : 2024-07-22