Barbora Spotakova (CZE) - 67.12m national record in Stuttgart (© Getty Images)
Defending Olympic champion Roman Šebrle, the Decathlon World record holder, has struggled with muscle injuries in his build up to Beijing, while Barbora Špotáková, who like Šebrle is a reigning World champion, has been in great form. The two athletes head the 29 strong mission going to next month’s Olympics.
While the world’s greatest decathlete has had his injury problems there is no doubt that the multiple Czech record holder in the women’s Javelin Throw is even stronger than previous years. Špotáková threw her national record at the end of May in Zaragoza, respectively 69.15m.
Other possible medal hopes reside in Jaroslav Bába, bronze medallist in Athens, who will be accompanied by Tomáš Janku, European silver medallist. Then there is also the World silver medallist in the women’s Pole Vault, Katerina Badurová who has made a great comeback from injury last winter. 2005 World Discus bronze medallist Vera Cechlová is another name to watch out for, having come fourth in Athens.
For 16 Czech athletes out of the 29 Beijing squad it will be their first Olympic participation, there are 17 men and 12 women in the team. Two more women have fulfilled standard but they will miss Olympics. High jumper Barbora Laláková dropped out after a torn Achilles’ heel, pole-vaulter Pavla Rybová is pregnant.
Michal Procházka for the IAAF
Czech Olympic Team – Athletics
Men
Discipline – Name – Best Qualifying Effort (Date, Meet)
100m - Lukáš Milo - 10.26 s (4th July, Tábor)
200m - Jirí Vojtík - 20.60 s (7th June, Praha)
400m - Rudolf Götz - 45.78 s (31st May, Ostrava)
800m - Jakub Holuša - 1:46.15 (1st June, Berlin)
110m H - Petr Svoboda - 13.29 s (4th July, Tábor)
110m H - Stanislav Sajdok - 13.53 s (12th June, Ostrava)
HJ - Jaroslav Bába - 2.30 m (24th February, Praha)
HJ - Tomáš Janku - 2.30 m (21st June, Leiria & 4th July, Tábor)
PV - Jan Kudlicka - 5.70 m (9th July, Praha & 12th July, Plzen)
PV - Štepán Janácek - 5.70 m (16th July, Stará Boleslav)
LJ – Roman Novotný - 8.21 m (22nd July, Brno)
SP - Petr Stehlík - 20.17 m (20th May, Turnov)
DT - Jan Marcell - 63.59 m (14th June, Olomouc)
HT - Lukáš Melich - 76.97 m (31st May, Ostrava)
JT - Vítezslav Veselý - 79.70 m (18th June, Kladno)
Decathlon - Roman Šebrle - 8076 pts (18th & 19th June, Kladno)
50km walk - Roman Bílek - 3:58:42 (29th March, Dudince)
Women
Discipline – Name – Best Qualifying Effort (Date, Meet)
100m H - Lucie Škrobáková - 12.93 s (4th July, Tábor)
400m H - Zuzana Hejnová - 54.96 s (12th June, Ostrava)
HJ - Iva Straková - 1.98 m (15th March, Cejkovice)
HJ - Romana Dubnova - 1.95 m (8th February, Eaubonne)
PV - Katerina Badurová - 4.35 m (12th July, Plzen)
TJ - Martina Šestáková - 14.16 m (5th July, Tábor)
DT - Vera Cechlová - 63.10 m (8th June, Eugene)
HT - Lenka Ledvinová - 69.03 m (12th July, Plzen)
JT - Barbora Špotáková - 69.15 m (31st May, Zaragoza)
JT - Jarmila Klimešová - 61.02 m (4th June, Kalamata)
Heptathlon - Denisa Šcerbová – 6104 pts (18th & 19th June, Kladno)
20km walk - Zuzana Schindlerová - 1:33:15 (9th March, Lugano)
