Sports News
The Czech cyclist Lada Kozlikova has won the first Czech gold medal in track cycling in 16 years. Sparta Prague still lead the football league despite a poor performance against Pribram, while they and three other Czech clubs look forward to European action during the week. And Jaromir Jagr continues to be the best paid Czech sportsman. That's all in today's Sports News.
Lada Kozlikova wins gold at track cycling world championships
"My trainer and I agreed on our tactics yesterday evening, I would hang back and then go for it on the fourth lap. I put everything into it and it worked."
Sparta still on top despite poor performance against Pribram
In football, Sparta Prague gave another less than convincing performance on Saturday, drawing 0:0 at home to Pribram, who most pundits agreed deserved to take all three points. Sparta left the pitch to a chorus of boos, and chants of "Hrebik, Hrebik", the name of the popular coach they sacked after a poor run towards the end of last season. Current manager Jozef Jarabinsky said Sparta had simply lost the cohesion with which they started the season.
Slovan Liberec had a chance to take advantage of Sparta's slip-up and go top of the league for the first time this season when they played host to Banik Ostrava on Sunday. The north Bohemian side blew that chance, however, conceding a penalty in the first half and a well-taken strike by David Bystron in the second. In other league news, Brno beat Blsany 1:0, Viktoria Zizkov won 1:0 at Ceske Budejovice and Bohemians took one point from their home clash with Zlin.
Czech clubs preparing for European action
Czech clubs are in action in Europe again this week. Liberec travel to Dinamo Tblisi with a 3:2 advantage from the first leg, Sparta visit Bosnian side Siroki Brijeg three goals to the good, Slavia and guests Mouscron of Belgium have two apiece ahead of their tie, and plucky Zizkov go to Glasgow Rangers to try and defend their shock 2:0 win at home.
Ice hockey round-up
Sparta Prague took on Vitkovice on Sunday in a repeat of last season's Extraliga play-off finals. Again Sparta were the victors, scoring five goals and conceding only one. With seven rounds played, Pardubice lead the table after a 1:0 home win over new boys Liberec. And Havirov lost again, this time to Slavia Prague; they'll be hoping former international coach Josef Augusta - who they have just signed - will help lift the club out of its current crisis.
Ice hockey players dominate list of best paid Czech sportsmen
Monday's issue of Lidove Noviny has a list of the 50 best paid Czech sportsmen (and they are all men). Czech captain Pavel Nedved is the only football player in the top ten; the others are all ice hockey players, with - surprise, surprise - Jaromir Jagr at number one. Jagr is reportedly on 350 million Czech crowns a year. Only two sportsmen outside the worlds of hockey and football make the top fifty - NBA basketball player Jiri Welsch and the top Czech tennis player Jiri Novak.
