In Sports News this Monday: Hejnová sets new Czech record in 400m hurdles and tops Diamond League podium yet again; Sparta apologise to fans for rapid exit from European competition, while Plzeň prepare to play Estonia’s Kalju in Champions League qualifier; Dukla’s Pospěch equals record for goals scored in Czech top flight game; and golfer Spilková achieves her best placing to date on Ladies European Tour.
Hejnová tops podium at Diamond League meet again with new Czech record
Zuzana Hejnová, photo: CTK
Zuzana Hejnová has broken her own recently set Czech record in the women’s 400 metre hurdles. The 26-year-old crossed the line at a Diamond League meeting in London on Friday on 53:07 seconds, coming first in the fastest time seen in the discipline this year. Indeed, Hejnová, who came third at last summer’s Olympics, has won all eight races she has competed in so far in 2013, including five in the Diamond League. While she must rank as a favourite to top the podium at the World Championships in Moscow next month, Hejnová has failed to live up to expectations at previous championships and she’s saying she merely wants to take any medal home from the Russian capital.
Sparta say sorry after instant Euro exit
Sparta Prague - Jablonec, photo: CTK
Sparta Prague have apologised to fans after the club fell at their first hurdle in Europe this season, suffering a surprise defeat to Sweden’s Häcken in the qualification stages of the Europa League. With Sparta’s management saying they will announce changes in the middle of August, coach Vítězslav Lavička’s position looks uncertain; he will have been more relieved than anybody by Sparta’s 2:1 home win over Jablonec on Sunday.
Plzeň notch up another league win ahead of Estonian test
Příbram - Viktoria Plzeň, photo: CTK
Reigning Czech champions Viktoria Plzeň also made it two league wins out of two so far this season, with a 4:2 away victory over Příbram. After seeing off Željezničar Sarajevo in a qualification game for the Champions League, Plzeň are now set to face Kalju of Estonia in the competition’s third qualifying round; the first leg of that tie takes place in Tallinn on Tuesday.
Dukla’s Pospěch equals Czech league record for goals in one game
Zbyněk Pospěch, photo: CTK
Dukla Prague striker Zbyněk Pospěch scored all of the club’s goals in their 4:0 win over Sigma Olomouc in the Czech capital on Saturday. No player has ever scored more than four times in a single game since the Czech league was established two decades ago.
Spilková, 18, achieves best placing yet on golf’s Ladies European Tour
Klára Spilková, photo: Tristan Jones / Official website of Klára Spilková
Czech golfer Klára Spilková has achieved her best placing to date on the Ladies European Tour, coming joint sixth in a tournament at England’s Denham at the weekend. In fact, Spilková was leading for a while on Sunday before falling off the pace in the final round. The Czech, who is only 18, has been on the tour for three years and is now ranked 19th. In two weeks’ time local fans will get to see her in action at the Pilsen Golf Masters, which is being held within the framework of the Ladies European Tour.
