Czech Paralympic swimmer shines at World Championship with a world record and seven medals
17-year-old Paralympic swimmer David Kratochvíl shattered a 23-year-old world record in the men’s 400m freestyle at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. He finished the competition with a complete set of seven medals from seven races.
"It's overwhelming, it's amazing. The 400 meters is my main event, and since it takes place at the end of the competition, we trained hard to make sure I could finish strong. And it paid off."
The young Czech swimmer’s determination became clear on the final day of the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore on Sunday, when he shattered a 23-year-old world record in the 400m freestyle. He completed the race in just under 4 minutes and 20 seconds and described the experience:
"In the last 50 or 100 meters, I could hear the crowd cheering - that really gave me a boost. At the end, when the whole stadium was roaring, I knew I had made it. I really enjoyed it because breaking this record after thirty years is truly incredible.”
The 400m race was not the only highlight for the 17-year-old. During the seven day Championships, Kratochvíl also claimed four additional gold medals - in the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle, and in the 100m butterfly. He added a silver medal in the 100m backstroke and two bronzes - in the 100m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the events he excelled in most are also his personal favourites.
“I love freestyle, so I’m mostly a freestyler, and I also really like butterfly. Those are the two strokes I enjoy the most.”
Kratochvíl has previously achieved major success at the Paralympic Games in Paris, where he won gold in the men’s 400m freestyle, along with a silver and bronze. With his fast growing collection of medals, Kratochvíl has already established himself as Czechia’s most successful active Paralympian.
However, his journey has not been easy. Growing up in the small Czech town of Halže near Tachov, Kratochvíl played ice hockey until he lost his sight at the age of six due to a serious illness. Although it took time for him and his family to adjust to his disability, sports remained a central part of his life. Swimming, in particular, became a sport he could pursue mostly independently. To help him with orientation in the pool, his parents and coaches use poles with soft tipped ends to signal when he is approaching a turn.
From the start of his rapidly rising career, the Czech Paralympic swimmer has won the hearts of fans not only through his sporting achievements but also with his optimism and sense of humour.
He competed every day throughout the World Championships and admitted that the fatigue was starting to set in. Still, he said he enjoyed his time in Singapore.
"Singapore is truly beautiful. We’re staying in a lovely hotel, so I have to say that I can rest really well. The food is pretty much the same every day - I have to eat rice and chicken - but I’ve gotten used to it.”
He says he looks forward to enjoying a traditional Czech “svíčková” as soon as he returns from his sporting triumph in Singapore.
