It was quite a summer in 2013 for Anezka Drahotova - and now it is about to start all over again.
The Czech Republic’s teenage walking star is their nation’s leading name in the team for the IAAF Race Walking Cup in China next month where she will arrive with a growing reputation.
By own admission after her victory in Rieti at the European Athletics Junior Championships last July, she thought she might finish second or third.
But a brilliant performance, where she led for almost the entire race, saw her take the 10km walk title in a personal best of 44:15.87 from Russia’s Oksana Golyatkina, just less than six seconds behind her.
It was quite a family affair for the Drahotovas as Anezka’s twin sister Eliska also made the podium, third with 44:45.27.
The 18-year-olds are together again in the team for the World Cup in Taicang on 3-4 May, in the junior 10km event in a squad that also includes Lucie Pelantova in the 20km and Lukas Gdula and Pavel Schrom in the 50km.
But so many eyes will be on Anezka, the country’s national record holder at the 10km and who showed in Rieti that it is not all about walking.
She also competed in the 3000m steeplechase - the heats were in the evening after her gold-medal winning performance - and she made that final too, finishing ninth.
A month later she then moved back to walking at the World Championships in Moscow where she was seventh in the 20km in a personal best of 1:29:05 having led the race.
She is preparing in fine form for China as she showed last weekend when she won over 20km, to the delight of her home fans, in Podebrady.
Anezka was first in 1:29:43 at this EA Permit event and she will use that performance as another solid base on her way to competing in the 20km at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in August, when the junior star of 2013 will aim to make another major impression on the senior stage.