Čáslavská not to attend Olympics team event due to participation of Zeman

Legendary gymnast Věra Čáslavská says she will not attend an event at Prague Castle announcing the Czech team for next month’s Winter Olympics because President Miloš Zeman will be taking part. Ms. Čáslavská supported Mr. Zeman’s rival Karel Schwarzenberg in last year’s presidential election. In a letter to Czech Olympic Committee chairman Jiří Kejval quoted by the news site Lidovky.cz, she said Mr. Zeman had brought “negative energy” to Prague Castle. A seven-time Olympic gold winner, she was an advisor to President Václav Havel in the 1990s and is honorary chairwoman of the Czech Olympic Committee.