Sports News
The freestyle aerial skier Ales Valenta has been named Czech Sportsperson of the Year, crowning a year in which he shot to fame, after taking the only Czech gold at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. And the Czech Republic's ice hockey team have ended a poor year with a win at the Baltic Cup in Moscow, taking them to second place in the Euro Hockey Tour.
Sportsperson of the Year award crowns great year for Ales Valenta
"The Olympics of course, but I think sport isn't the only thing in my life. There were many other different, important moments like the opening of a training park for aerial skiing and other things. My whole year has been very positive."
Decathlete and Czech Athlete of the Year, Roman Sebrle, who took gold at both the European Indoor and Outdoor Championships this year, came second in the Sportsperson of the Year poll. He was followed by cross-country skier Katerina Neumannova, who picked up bronze at the Winter Olympics and stands to receive two more medals, following the disqualification for drug-taking of two Russians who beat her in Salt Lake City.
The team prize at the Sportsperson of the Year awards went to the Czech Under 21 football team, who in May won the European Championships for the first time ever. Who could forget the magnificent display by goalkeeper Petr Cech, who saved two when the final went to penalties. At the awards ceremony, coach Miroslav Beranek took the opportunity to say a few thank yous.
"(Thanks to) all the team's players, the coaching team, everyone who helped us, football is a team game. I'd also like to thank Karel Brueckner, and I believe next year he'll be standing up here where I am now."
Karel Brueckner is of course the coach of the Czech national football team - let's hope the seniors shine as brightly in 2003 as the Under 21s did this year.
Czech Republic win ice hockey's Baltic Cup
A week ago we reported that Czech ice hockey coach Slavomir Lener was having trouble assembling a squad for the Baltic Cup in Moscow, with almost 15 of his first-choice players unavailable. How satisfying it was therefore for Czech hockey fans to watch Lener's charges not only give a decent account of themselves but actually win the cup, for the second year in a row. The prize came down to the last game against Russia on Sunday, with the Czech Republic needing only a draw, which - at full time - they had achieved, with the score at 3:3. Under an unusual points system, the Czechs retained the crucial point, despite losing 4:3 in overtime, to a Russian side who have been their bogey team all year. The Baltic Cup is part of the Euro Hockey Tour, in which the Czech Republic trail leaders Finland by just one point.
