Having a ball while finding the winning rhythm

Fanni Pigniczki performs at the Chengdu games on Saturday. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

After 18 years of dedication to rhythmic gymnastics, Fanni Pigniczki had yet to claim a gold medal on the international stage. This week at the Chengdu FISU World University Games, the 23-year-old Hungarian ended that long wait, topping the podium not just once but twice.

In a remarkable display of skill and determination, she secured victories in both the individual all-around and Ball, on Sunday and Monday respectively, at Chengdu Sport University Gymnasium.

"It was an amazing feeling to see the Hungarian flag rising up," Pigniczki said after the medal ceremony.

Pigniczki admitted to feeling the pressure during the three-day competition, especially on the first day, but added that the fervent cheers from the stands greatly helped to ease her nerves as the event progressed. "I felt a superb energy from the audience. So I really enjoyed being on the carpet," she said.

As a student of psychology at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest, Pigniczki revealed that her major benefits her athletic pursuits, helping her to better understand and manage her emotions.

"I have learned to stay calmer and think less after the first day of competition. I have also learned that I need to relax and just concentrate on the 'now' of competition," said Pigniczki, whose mother is a psychologist.

In the individual all-around competition, Pigniczki triumphed with a score of 126.800 points, ahead of second-placed Khrystyna Pohranychna of Ukraine and Reina Matsusaka of Japan in third. Pigniczki dominated the competition, securing the top position in three out of the four events while adorned in her dazzling blue attire.

"The outfit was made by some amazing designers. They wanted to make something special for me and for my music, because my music starts slowly, then it gets faster, and in the end it turns into a kind of disco music. So they merged these styles into the outfit," Pigniczki explained.

"This outfit is made of love, and I believe that it will bring me luck," she added.

At the age of 5, Pigniczki chose rhythmic gymnastics as her sport even though both her father and grandfather were table tennis players. Her grandfather, Laszlo Pigniczki, was a world silver medalist and her father played on the Hungarian junior table tennis team.

"When I was a kid, I tried all kinds of activities like swimming, basketball, ballet and dancing. But I fell in love with rhythmic gymnastics because there is never a feeling of readiness. I could always improve more," she said.

At the age of 12, she became a member of the Hungarian national team and made her debut at the European championships by competing with the junior group in Vienna.

Pigniczki has set numerous records for Hungarian rhythmic gymnastics.

Her outstanding performances at the 2021 European championships in Varna, Bulgaria, earned her a spot at the delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Pigniczki became the first Hungarian rhythmic gymnast to grace the Olympic stage since Viktoria Frater at the Sydney 2000 Games.

At the Olympics, she finished 20th in the qualification round for the individual all-around.

Last year, she continued to make history by becoming the first Hungarian to claim a World Cup medal in rhythmic gymnastics.

Her role in inspiring the next generation of gymnasts was recognized in May when she was honored with the Smart Scoring Shooting Star award.

At the Chengdu games, Hungary has secured three gold medals so far, with Pigniczki, the country's sole rhythmic gymnast at the games, responsible for two of those.

But it was not without a tinge of regret — her errors in the concluding pose of her Clubs competition denied her a medal as she finished fourth.

Pigniczki vowed to learn from that setback.

"I need to improve my stability, because in different competitions there are different routines," she said.

Looking ahead with optimism, she has already set her sights on next year's Paris Olympic Games.

After squeezing in a visit to the Panda Base in Chengdu, she returned to Hungary on Tuesday to prepare for a Paris 2024 qualification competition, which will be held at the end of this month.

"I really want to secure qualification," she said, adding that her two gold medals in Chengdu have given her a timely confidence boost for that mission.