Speed skater Metoděj Jílek: Czechia’s teenage Olympic medal hope
With the Winter Olympics in Milan just around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at some of Czechia’s biggest medal hopefuls. One of the brightest new stars is speed skater Metoděj Jílek, just nineteen years old and already a newly crowned long-distance World Cup champion.
For many years, Czech speed skating was almost synonymous with one name: Martina Sáblíková. The multiple Olympic champion and world record holder has won seven Olympic medals, including three golds, and dominated the sport for more than a decade.
As the legendary veteran prepares for what will be her final Olympic Games, the spotlight is increasingly shifting to the next generation, and especially to Metoděj Jílek.
He underlined his medal ambitions last weekend by winning the World Cup title on long distances, becoming the first Czech man to achieve this success.
Jílek secured the decisive points with a silver-medal finish in the 5,000 metres, beaten only by Norway’s Sander Eitrem. His time of 6 minutes 1.98 seconds set a new Czech national record, while the winning time marked the fastest five-kilometre race ever skated.
With that result, Jílek followed in the footsteps of Martina Sáblíková as only the second Czech skater overall to win the World Cup on long distances. Despite the breakthrough, Jílek keeps his feet firmly on the ground.
“The main goal was and still is the Olympics. All of this is kind of a side product. Of course I’m happy about it, but it wasn’t the main goal. It’s another milestone I can tick off — something that can be won, and I won it — so I’m definitely happy.”
Jílek’s journey to the top began early, though not on ice.
“It happened quite by chance. I’d been doing inline speed skating since I was five, and one day my parents and I went skating at the track in Běchovice. There we met a coach who invited me to join a speed skating club. It was really just a coincidence, and I’ve been skating ever since.”
“I didn’t get onto the ice until around the age of fourteen. I started at hockey rinks in hockey skates, then moved on to short track skates. When I had more time and was a bit older, I went to Germany and Poland, where I could skate on the long track.”
One key factor pushed him to focus fully on ice speed skating this season: the Olympics.
“That’s one of the main reasons why I switched to ice speed skating. Otherwise, I’d have been satisfied with inline skating if it were an Olympic sport. Every athlete wants to make it to the Olympics, and perhaps even win it. So this was the only option.”
Behind his rapid rise stand not only talent and determination, but also a strong support team. In 2025, Jílek joined an international training group of skaters from eight countries, led by New Zealand coach Kalon Dobbin. Just as important, he says, has been his family.
“They led me to sport from the very beginning. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. They support me all the time, and that’s huge. They, along with the coach who discovered me, deserve the biggest credit.”
Metoděj’s mother, Pavlína Jílková, says she is immensely proud — and still slightly overwhelmed by what her son is achieving.
“Whenever Metoděj sets himself a goal, he always achieves it. At first I didn’t believe it, but now I really do. Whatever he tells me now, I just think it’s going to be incredible.”
Both parents will travel with their son to Italy for the Olympic Games. His father, Ondřej Jílek, admits that emotions are already running high.
“We can’t wait. It’s going to be nerve-racking. It’s a huge challenge and an enormous event. I still can’t fully grasp what Metoděj has achieved. Hats off — I’m incredibly proud of him.”
Alongside Martina Sáblíková, the Czech speed skating team will also include Nikola Zdráhalová, who recently celebrated the biggest success of her career, winning silver in the 1,500 metres and gold in the 1,000 metres at the European Championships in Poland.
