"Tami, you're going to the USA!" – An interview with Tamara Svatíková after qualifying for the World U20 Championships

"Tami, you're going to the USA!"

Those were the words Tamara Svatíková heard just seconds after crossing the finish line of the women's 100 m hurdles at the Tomáš Babiak Memorial in Bratislava. Her time of 14.03 seconds not only meant a new personal best, but also qualification for the World U20 Championships, which will take place this August in Oregon, USA.

A few days after this achievement, we sat down with the ŠK Jablonica athlete to talk about her emotions after the race, her journey to achieving the qualifying standard, and what she is looking forward to most at her first world championship event.

Tamara, let's go back to May 9, 2026. When did you first realize that 14.03 seconds meant you had qualified for the World U20 Championships?

During the race itself, I already felt it would be a personal best. After crossing the finish line, the clock was right in front of us, so I realized very quickly what had actually happened.

What were your first feelings immediately after crossing the finish line?

A few seconds later, my friends from the training group ran over to me and kept repeating: "Tami, you're going to the USA." My family from Bratislava was waiting for me at the finish line, and honestly, everyone I met congratulated me and shared the excitement with me.

Did you know during the race that you were running for a personal best, or did you find out only after seeing the result?

Right after the first few hurdles, I felt I was running better than during the warm-up, where I had already felt really good. I was fully aware throughout the race and the favorable tailwind helped as well. Improving my personal best by 0.31 seconds made me very happy, even though I came to the competition focused mainly on achieving the qualifying standard.

It was mentioned that you clipped one of the final hurdles. What was going through your mind at that moment?

I think it was around the sixth hurdle when I hit it and felt a noticeable loss of speed. I tried to lengthen my stride to make the spacing work again, which I managed to do, but it affected my technique over the final three hurdles. At that moment, I started to doubt what kind of time it would be, but fortunately it still worked out.

Who was the first person you called or messaged after learning that you had qualified?

The first people I called were my mom and my brother. Then I called my second coach, Aďo, and after that some friends. My coach from Banská Bystrica and I were communicating almost immediately after the race through messages.

Your athletics journey began at ŠK Jablonica. A few years ago, could you have imagined being this close to competing at a World Championship?

Before I left for high school, I would never have imagined it, even though people often told me I was talented. After qualifying for the European Championships in 2024, I experienced some health issues, and last year I missed out on a major championship event. Because of that, I knew it would be even more difficult. However, after the indoor season and our training camp in Spain, I knew I was capable of it.

What role has coach Michal Škvarka played in your development?

I've known coach Škvarka for longer than I've been studying in Banská Bystrica. We first met at a training camp together with Stanka Škvarková, who was a huge inspiration to me at the time. From my first competitions under his guidance, I kept improving steadily, which reflected the quality of the training. Over nearly four years in his group, we've experienced both good and difficult moments, and because of that we now work together very effectively and can solve any problems that arise. I will continue studying at university in Banská Bystrica and training with his group. Together with my club and coach Aďo from Senica, I believe I have ideal conditions for athletics.

What has changed the most over the years – physically, technically, or mentally?

I've changed in every aspect, but probably the most mentally. In sport, you face many different situations where it's important to react correctly. Whether it's injuries, health issues, balancing school, dealing with competition, or even personal matters, every challenge influences the way I think and view things. This is where I've made the biggest progress, and it allows me to keep moving forward.

Several days have passed since achieving the qualifying standard. Have the initial emotions faded, or do you still fully realize the significance of what happened?

I've already had two hurdle races since then and realized that 14.03 was "only" the qualifying standard. On May 23, I ran 13.78, unfortunately with an illegal wind reading. The emotions are still very much there, though, because every day someone congratulates me or asks about it. It makes me even more excited about training and competing.

How will your preparation change in the coming months knowing that the World U20 Championships are ahead of you?

For now, the preparation won't change significantly. It's still only the beginning of the season and there is a lot ahead of me. Last week I completed my final school exams, so I can now focus more on training, but that's the only major change at the moment.

What are you looking forward to most about Oregon – the competition itself, the atmosphere, the international field, or something else entirely?

Definitely the fact that it's taking place in a country I've never visited before. I know the competition will be extremely strong, but I want to enjoy the experience as much as possible. We all know the atmosphere will be incredible. The only thing that could make it even better would be having my training group friends there with me because I know we'd enjoy it together even more.

What goal would you like to travel to the World Championships with? Will simply participating be enough, or do you have higher ambitions?

As I mentioned, it's still early in the season, so I don't know exactly what times people will be running there. Either way, I'll give it everything I have, and reaching the semifinals would make me very happy.

What message would you send to the young athletes at ŠK Jablonica who are standing on the start line of their first races and dreaming about major championships?

I know we have a lot of younger children in the club, while there are fewer athletes my age. I remember dreaming of becoming like the older girls in the club when I was younger. That's why I hope I can be at least a small inspiration to someone. I would definitely tell them that they will achieve the most when they do it for themselves and when they truly enjoy it. Even from a small club like Jablonica, you can go a long way — you just have to believe in yourself.

When you look back a few years from now, what would you like 2026 to symbolize for you?

Overall, this year is very different from the previous ones. I'm finishing high school and had to decide what to do next. I originally planned to attend university in the Czech Republic, but I'm glad I stayed here. It's also my final year as a junior athlete, which means I'm moving into the senior category.

If I could go back to my elementary school years, I would be proud of myself. Back then, I didn't believe I could even manage living in a bigger city, let alone succeed there. I'm grateful that I listened to my coach and that he still helps me with everything today.

I think my childhood dreams were slightly different because I also practiced ballet, which fulfilled me greatly at the time and which I honestly still miss sometimes. On the other hand, 2026 symbolizes exactly what I wanted because I am doing what I love, and I can't imagine it any other way.