Sports News

In Sports News this Monday: Dukla Prague win Mayor’s Eights rowing race for 35th time in succession; shooter Emmons comes second in World Cup on return from maternity leave; Chelsea sending Kalas on loan yet again; and Kvitová cuts ties with fitness coach after split from Štěpánek.

Dukla take top rowing prize for 35th time in row

Photo: CTK

The Czech Republic’s top rowing event, the Primátorky, or Mayor’s Eights, was won on Sunday by Dukla Prague. The result was hardly a surprise, however, as Dukla’s victory was the club’s 35th in a row in the event, which was being held on the river Vltava in Prague for the 101st time. Among Dukla’s eight were several members of the Czech national rowing team, including two-time single sculls World Champion Ondřej Synek. Trainer Petr Blecha said his presence had meant a lot to Dukla.

“Basically, when Ondřej Synek is in your boat it’s a guarantee that the crew is top quality. So I was convinced from the beginning that our boat would rank among the favourites, or the biggest favourite. And Dukla is the perhaps best team in the country, so we should win – and will win in future.”

Shooter Emmons makes successful return from maternity leave

Kateřina Emmons, photo: Petr Novák, CC BY-SA 2.5

Former Olympic champion Kateřina Emmons made a successful return after maternity leave at the weekend. In her first start since having her second child, the 30-year-old came second in the women’s 10m air rifle event in the sport’s World Cup in Munich behind 15-year-old sensation Martina Lindsay Veloso of Singapore. Emmons had this to say after the final.

“When there were only the two of us left I knew the worst result would be silver, which was great. It almost worked out. A bit more patience wouldn’t have done me any harm, but I’m not complaining – it was excellent.”

Emmons’s impressive return from maternity leave came hot on the heels of a similar comeback from athlete Barbora Špotáková on Thursday. But the latter went one better, topping the podium in the javelin at a Diamond League meeting in Rome in her return at international level.

Kalas being loaned out again by Chelsea

Despite impressing for Chelsea towards the end of last season, Czech soccer defender Tomáš Kalas is again being sent out on loan by the London club. The 21-year-old international is reported to be on his way to Bundesliga side Cologne for one season. Kalas was previously farmed out to the Dutch club Arnhem for two seasons.

Kvitová drops fitness coach after split from Štěpánek

Petra Kvitová, photo: CTK

The Czech women’s tennis number one Petra Kvitová has announced that she has stopped working with fitness coach Marek Všetíček. Všetíček is the fitness trainer of Czech men’s player Radek Štěpánek and Kvitová started working with him last year when the two became romantically involved. However, the one-time Wimbledon winner has ended her association with him in the wake of her recent split from Štěpánek.