Nicola Hochegger won the first “gold” for Styria at the current World Skill Championships, the Worldskills: the 21-year-old from Eastern Styria fought for victory in Finland and can now call himself the best florist in the world.
“I still can’t believe I got gold from the florists. I still can’t find the words and can’t believe it” – was the happy first reaction of the newly crowned Styrian world champion. 21-year-old Nicola Hochegger won the florist competition on Monday at the WorldSkills 2022 World Skills Championships in the Finnish capital Helskini, the first gold medal of this year’s championships for Styria and the second for Austria.
“I am very proud of myself”
“The past few days have been really tiring! I was able to put in a very good performance, which I am very happy with. The assignment on the last day bothered me a bit. But to be honest, I’m very, very proud of myself – you don’t say that often, but I hope it’s okay this time,” says the Weizer resident in view of her peak success. The 21-year-old works in the family business at Blumen Kubat in Anger near Weiz.
Styria as defending champions
During the World Cup, de Weizerin created eight different pieces – from a bridal bouquet to vessel fillings to room decorations inspired by Scandinavian buildings. The international judges rated Hochegger’s performance with 726 points, putting the florist gold ahead of its competitors from Switzerland and France. Austria and Styria thus defended the title among florists: in 2019 Julia Leitgeb also won gold at WorldSkills in Kazan.
For Styria it is the 44th medal at WorldSkills: including Hochegger’s title, representatives of the state won twelve gold, eleven silver and 13 bronze medals.
Competitions divided into 15 countries for the first time
Incidentally, WorldSkills will be held in a very special form for the first time this year: after the cancellation of Shanghai, the competitions will take place all over the world. For the first time in history, the World Skills Championships will be held in a total of 15 countries.
The competitions in Austria are the crowning glory of WorldSkills 2022. Seven competitions will be held in Salzburg from 23 to 27 November.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
