Veronika MACHYNIAKOVA

Historical Results

Fashion, healthy lifestyle, video games (Visage)

Athlete, Student

Student of the Faculty of Economics at the Univerzita Mateja Bela in Banskej Bystrici.

Partner, Jakub Varhanovsky. Parents, Lubomir and Andrea (both engineers). Younger sister, Julia.

KB Brezno / VSC Dukla Banska Bystrica

National: Lukas Daubner (SVK)

Partner Jakub Varhanovsky (Cyclo-cross): Competed as a junior at World and European Championships. Two-time national age champion (2015, 2017). Stopped competing due to a knee injury.

Father Lubomir Machyniak (Biathlon): Nagano 1988 Olympian, with one top-40 finish. Five World Championship appearances from 1993-99, with two top-15 results in relays. Competed at the World Cup from 1993-98, achieving his only career top-10 finish, an eighth-place at the Oestersund individual in 1997. Later served a vice-president of the Slovak Biathlon Association.

Sister Julia Machyniakova (Biathlon): Three Youth/Junior World Championship appearances (2017, 2020-21), finishing in the top-10 the past two junior relays. Competed at the 2020 European Championships, finishing 20th in the mixed relay alongside Veronika, and made her World Cup debut the following season, primarily races in relays in Veronika.

2016 IBU Cup in Ridnaun (Mixed Relay - 15th, Sprint - 58th, Pursuit - LAP)
2019 World Cup in Oestersund (Sprint - 90th, Individual - 77th)

2019

Started biathlon in 2008 at Valaska-Osrblie Biathlon Club.

"I didn't even think about another sport. My father continued sports even after the end of his career and he also coached other children in our village. In addition, Osrblie, where the biathlon complex is, is just around the corner." (sportnet.sme.sk, 7 Oct 2019)

"I never set goals because I think it's daunting, and especially when it doesn't go as planned. I would just like to be satisfied, to always see a certain progress on myself, to move forward." (sport7.sk, 8 Apr 2021)

"The main thing is to realize my weaknesses and focus on them. I know about my weak legs and the lack of dynamics. I'm working on it all the time. For example, in the gym, I spent a lot more time preparing." (slovenskybiatlon.sk, 2021)

Finishing 11th in the individual at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Otepaeae. "I remember what happened before and after the race, but I only remember the last stand of the race itself. When I heard his voice [coach Sulej] coming to cheer me up, it charged me with energy and I hurried to the finish. The coach even had tears in his eyes." (slovenskybiatlon.sk, 2021)

Her father. "If I'm right to say, it's not easy to have a father and a coach in the same person. We've often taking home problems and it made me nervous when we tackled biathlon everywhere, and even more so when my coach was someone else. After a few conversations, we agreed that when I need help or advice, I should contact him and we won't talk about it unnecessarily, and I still know that I can contact him at any time and he will always be happy to answer me." (slovenskybiatlon.sk, 2021)

"Before I go to the shooting range, I don't think about anything." (slovenskybiatlon.sk, 2021)

"Professional sports are not just about pleasures. You often don't end training with a smile on your face, just as you don't always want to train with a smile on your face. But that's what it's all about, and when it comes to success, the feeling of satisfaction is worth it!" (sport7.sk, 8 Apr 2021)