Romani girl runner in Slovakia scores another regional victory

Romani youth athlete Annamária Horváthová, who became known as the "girl in flats", won the 1 500 meter event in the individual category during the recent championship in eastern Slovakia, according to her trainers. She has also been racking up other athletic successes recently.

At the national level of the youth championship, Horváthová came in third in the 1 500 meter event and fifth in the 800 meter event. Her story began two years ago, when a photograph of her standing in first place on the winners' tribunal captured attention on social media.

The photograph showed Horváthová wearing the flats in which she raced to victory over her competitors, who wore more standard footwear. Despite living in very impoverished conditions in a shack in the Romani settlement of Moldava nad Bodvou, she won the local 750 meter event in 2018, beating more than 400 other children.

Her talent was noticed by a local athletics club, who took her on and is supporting her financially. After one year of training she became the best runner in her category in eastern Slovakia.

"She is a medium-range runner. Currently she is the best runner in eastern Slovakia in the category of the female pupils in the upper grades," said Norbert Pecze, chair of the Athletic Legion Club in Moldava nad Bodvou to which Horváthová belongs.