In Sports News this Monday: Viktoria Plzeň and league newcomers make bright start to season; Petr Čech wins trophy; Barbora Špotáková needs to sharpen performance in javelin finals; and Abraham takes points at the BrnoGP.
Viktoria Plzeň top league with no goals conceded
Jablonec - Viktoria Plzeň, photo: CTK
We start with football, and there’s a somewhat surprising look to the top of the main Czech football league after most of the second round matches were played over the weekend. Viktoria Plzeň is in top place after its 1:0 win over Jablonec. So far the West Bohemia club have not conceded a goal. And in second place with six points is newly promoted Sigma Olomouc who beat Liberec. Olomouc is an exception to the summer spending splurge in the league with its squad mostly made up of young players. Reigning champions Slavia Prague were held to a goalless draw with Baník Ostrava.
Petr Čech lifts Charity Shield
Petr Čech, photo: CTK
Staying with football, Arsenal keeper Petr Čech again lifted a trophy. In this case it was the Community Shield, the Premier League equivalent of the super cup played at the start of the new season. The Gunners beat Chelsea on penalties after a 1:1 draw at the end of normal time. Čech did not stop any of the Chelsea penalties with last season’s league winners shooting wide on two occasions.
Czech hopes on Špotáková in javelin final
Barbora Špotáková, photo: CTK
The Athletics World Championships in London have so far been a disappointing as regards the Czech medal haul. Sprinter Pavel Maslák failed to get through to the final with a semi-final time of 45.24 over 400 metres. In the shot put. Tomáš Staněk took fourth place with a throw of 21. 415. He was just five centimetres off a bronze medal. He commented on missing out on the winners’ podium:
"Of course it hurts. It’s a sort of success but there is no medal. I was very close to getting one. On none of the attempts did I really get the put on my fingers as it should have been so that it went in the right direction."
Most eyes will be fixed on Tuesday night on javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková for the finals of the women’s event. The Czech, who took her second Olympic gold in the London Stadium five years ago, struggled in qualification and admits that she will have to throw around three metres more to stand a chance of being in the medals again.
Karel Abraham in the points at BrnoGP
Karel Abraham, photo: CTK
Brno hosted the Czech motorcycle Grand Prix at the weekend. In the main event, Spaniard Marc Marquez won with a lead of just over 12 seconds to consolidate his place at the top of the championship table. The best placed Czech was Karel Abraham in 13th position who also picked up championship points.
