Sixth participation to the Games for the young nation born in 1993. Just a few days before the start we take a look at the Czech achievements under the famous five rings
The sport with the highest guarantee of success for the Czech Republic is canoeing, with over 11 medals won in the previous five participations
There is really little time left before the start of thirty-first Olympic Games. The multi-sport event will take place in Brazil from the 5th to the 21st of August in the beautiful city of Rio De Janeiro, known worldwide for its carnival and breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean and the summit of Corcovado with the Cristo Redentor statue standing at the top. It will be a historic event for the whole of South America that, for the first time, will have the honour of hosting the Olympics. The Czech Republic will also be present for this edition with its best athletes that will compete for the top positions on the international sports scene. However, even if it does not have a long and rich tradition, since 1993 – from “Year Zero” – after the separation from Czechoslovakia, the Country has always managed to perform well in the five events it took part in, starting from 1996 until the last one in 2012.
Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, well over four hundred athletes have worn its colours, 256 men and 173 women, who have pursued a single objective: to represent and honour the national colours. Looking through the statistics we find that the Czechs have taken part in well over 193 events in the 27 disciplines included in the program and achieving, all in all, quite good results: 44 medals and an Olympic record that is still unbeaten. During the 2004 edition in Athens, Roman Šebrle managed, in fact, to win the gold medal in the decathlon – a gruelling race that consists of ten athletic trials, which include discus throwing, pole vaulting and a hurdles race – setting up a new record for the discipline (for the experts: a score of 8,893 points). The athlete, who comes from Lanškroun, a small village of just over ten thousand residents in the Pardubice region, was defined in 2008 by the US newspaper Wall Street Journal, after entering into sport history, as “The World’s greatest athlete”. Šebrle has in fact won all the titles in this discipline, also winning both the indoor and outdoor World and European championships. However, the famous decathlete, who is now 42 year old, has never been selected to be the flag-bearer of the Czech delegation, a privilege that until now has been offered to other national idols. Actually, the first sports person to have had the honour of being the “Olympic flag-bearer” was Václav Chalupa Jr. during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. A rower, who followed the footsteps of his father, Václav Sr. – who had participated with Czechoslovakia to the 1960 and 1964 editions – Chalupa became well known in the country thanks to the silver medal he had won in 1992, in Barcelona, in an exciting race wearing the Czechoslovakia shirt, thus, a few months before the country’s dissolution.
For the first event of the new millennium, in Sydney, it was the turn of Martin Doktor, born in 1974, who was also a canoeist. Just like his predecessor, Doktor managed to earn the title of flag-bearer thanks to the two gold medals he had won at Atlanta for the 500 and 1000 meters, an outstanding double achievement. Doktor was followed by Květoslav Svoboda, the freestyle swimmer and Štěpánka Hilgertová, once again as canoeist. Then, for the last Games in London in 2012, Petr Koukal, the badminton player, became flag-bearer, but was chosen not so much for his (though excellent) results, but as an example of real sportsmanship. In 2010, however, he was diagnosed a tumour, but Petr was able to overcome the disease and after undergoing gruelling medical care, he started competing again at high level. The nomination, therefore, is a significant recognition for his strong desire to live and for his great determination.
The sport that has best represented the Czech Republic is canoeing, a discipline that has given great satisfaction to local sports enthusiasts. The number of medals won in this category are actually 11 – in first place for the list of national medals together with athletics – which, however, foresees a far greater number of trials and of athletes. Looking at the statistics, in the five participations of its history, the Country has been able to win a total of 44 medals: the best performance being that of Atlanta in 1994, when the athletes were able to bring home 4 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals. It is a fact: the teams have always performed well, even during the last editions. Part of the merit surely goes to Kateřina Kůrková-Emmons, the target shooter, who was born in 1983 and still holds the record of National Olympic medals. The athlete, who was born in Pilsen, has won three medals: a bronze one in Athens 2004 in the 10 meters “female compressed-air specialty”, in which she graduated as Olympic champion in Beijing in 2008, in addition to the silver medal won in the same edition in the 50 meters “air rifle 3 positions” category. A record, however. that might be equalled and surpassed at the Brazilian event. Kateřina Kůrková-Emmons is not the only athlete in the “Hall of Fame” of the Czechia Olympic format: Dominika Červenková and Michael Maier have, in fact, entered the history of the Country for being respectively the youngest and oldest athletes to have represented the Czech Republic at the Olympic Games. The gymnast debuted when she was only 16 (and 101 days) old in Athens 2004, finishing in twentieth place, while Maier competed in London in 2012 at the age of 48 (and 84 days) in his speciality, sailing. Born in Roudnice nad Labem on May 7th, 1964, Maier has also participated to all of the Olympic Games editions from 1996 to 2012, when he announced his retirement from racing.
The Czech group is now about to leave for Brazil, where, after a long period of preparation, it will finally start facing the competitions. The spotlight will be focused on Barbora Špotáková, the javelin champion who won two gold medals in the last two editions in Beijing and London, and there are also great expectations for the historic roars and canoeists team, who even on this occasion, are expected to be a guarantee in terms of results. The Czechs are also confident of achieving good results with the cycling team, which can count on four athletes and competing in the team time trial. Other satisfactory results are expected from tennis, a sport in which the Czech Republic is a world excellence. At the sports carnival in Rio de Janeiro, these and many other athletes, will try to uphold the honour of a country that – like all countries – dream of moments of glory under the Olympic spotlight.
by Alessandro De Felice
