Czech
and Slovak Teams to fly together on Sunday from Vienna
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
27 July 2001- Bratislava – The Czech and Slovak
Teams for Edmonton will fly together on Sunday morning from Vienna. Memories of the past
could arise, but most of the athletes do not remember the federal teams of bygone years
Other differences are bigger, the Czechs have 23 athletes, the Slovaks 7. Czechs have gold medal hopes (Sebrle, Dvorak, Zelezny for example), Slovak only hopes for top 8 positions (mainly shotputters Haborak and Mikulas Konopka).
Part of the Czech team (including the multi-event star duo) is already in Canada (having also competed at the Francophone Games). Of the Slovaks, five out of seven athletes are going now, the rest (the two 50 km walkers) will start the journey next Sunday, 5 August.
Star Javelin Thrower Jan Zelezny was quoted today by the Czech Daily Sport as being in good shape. "I feel I have a lot of energy and that is due to the fact, that I did not compete so often. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the next start and that is the right feeling. My only goal is to win, what else could it be?
"I believe in myself. it is lot worse to lose to yourself than to the competitors. The first throw will be the important one," said Zelezny who will travel to his 7th World Champs, having missed only the inaugural edition in Helsinki (at that time he was 17 years old).
Czech Athletics is this year missing more athletes from the stars department than usual. For example: triple jumper and 1997 Champion Sarka Kasparkova gave a birth to a daughter in June, high jumper Zuzana Hlavonova is expecting a child, 800 m title holder Ludmila Formanova is this year not running at all and pole vaulter Daniela Bartova has announced her retirement. Another three athletes are out of the team in the last few days - first Libor Malina due to a broken rib (he bettered his personal record this year in the discus to an excellent 67.13), secondly Andrea Suldesova (1500 m, due to pregnancy) and thirdly 800m World Indoors 2001 bronze medalist Helena Fuchsova (heel injury).
Composition of the teams
CZECH REPUBLIC (23)
men (16)
Radek Zachoval (200/4 x 400 m), Karel Blaha (400/4 x 400 m), Jiri Muzik (400 m Hurdles/4 x 400 m), Stepan Tesarik (400 m Hurdles/4 x 400 m), Jiri Vojtik (4 x 400 m), Jan Janku (High Jump), Stepan Janacek (Pole Vault), Petr Stehlik (Shot Put), Vladimir Maska and Pavel Sedlacek (Hammer Throw), Jan Zelezny (Javelin Throw), Tomas Dvorak, Jiri Ryba and Roman Sebrle (Decathlon), Jiri Malysa (20 km walk), Milos Holusa (20 and 50 km walk)
women (7)
Jitka Burianova (400 m), Pavla Hamackova (Pole Vault), Vera Pospisilova and Vladimira Rackova (Discus Throw), Marketa Hajdu and Lucie Vrbenska (Hammer Throw), Nikola Tomeckova (Javelin Throw)
SLOVAK REPUBLIC (7)
men (6)
Milan Haborak and Mikulas Konopka (Shot Put), Miloslav Konopka and Libor Charfreitag (Hammer Throw), Stefan Malik and Matej Spisiak (50 km walk)
women (1)
Martina Danisova (Hammer Throw)
