Iceland review - 2014, Qupperneq 26

24 ICELAND REVIEW
in 2013, she was chosen female rising Star at the european
Athlete of the Year awards. in the annual vote for iceland’s
Athlete of the Year, she was runner-up after Tottenham’s
soccer star Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson. The city of reykjavík
named her Sportswoman of the Year. These titles and
recognitions awarded to Aníta Hinriksdóttir were well
deserved, to say the least.
last summer, at the World Youth Athletic championships
in donetsk, ukraine, Aníta won the 800 m run in the u17
category, setting a new championship record. Amazingly,
six days later she came first in the u19 800 m race at the
european Athletics Junior championships in rieti, italy.
This made her the first athlete ever to receive gold med-
als at both tournaments. it also made her the first athlete
in icelandic history to have her national flag raised and
anthem sung at an athletics world championship. upon
her return, the city of reykjavík hosted a ceremony for her
where dagur B. eggertsson, chairman of the executive
committee of the city council, praised her for inspiring a
new generation of track athletes. “i don’t know of a child in
reykjavík that hasn’t taken to running in the past week,” he
said at the occasion.
To top off her outstanding year, she took home the
gold at the Games of the Small States of europe, held in
luxembourg, in the 400 m, 800 m and 4x400 m runs.
Born in January 1996, Aníta started running at reykjavík
sports club Ír at the age of 10. Her talent was soon spotted
by her renowned trainer, Gunnar páll Jóakimsson. “Aníta
has always enjoyed sports and all sorts of physical activity,”
he told Iceland Review. “Her progress in these last four years
With determination, a positive attitude and love for her
sport, 18-year-old Aníta Hinriksdóttir has already earned
her place among the world’s best runners.
GoinG For
Gold
By ÁSta andréSdóttir
Photo by Árni torfason
(chosen Best Sports photograph 2013 by the
Association of Icelandic press photographers).