Quietly and resolutely working her way through the swimming ranks, Higl’s combination of hard work and talent soon began to show signs of an athletic gem. Her first noticeable result came at this summer’s 25th University Games in Belgrade, when Higl won two silver medals and paved her way to glory. Then came the World Championships in Rome. The shy dark horse emerged from the status of a sideshow in the 200m breaststroke final and clinched the gold.
- “The gold medal at the World Championships in Rome is a tremendous success, one I was surprised by myself. However, that was the best possible confirmation that hard work does pay off, sometimes when it’s least expected. There is no doubt this has been my finest year of all,” says Nadja.
Nadja’s talent, perseverance and merit were validated at the very next competition, when she won another gold in the 200m breaststroke event, at the World Cup in Durban.
Only weeks afterwards, she took part in a similar competition, this time in Stockholm, with the same outcome for Nadja. The run of flawless performances and results in the swimming pool promoted Higl into an instant sporting great in Serbia. Read the rest of this entry »