In the Sports News this Monday: Maslák sets new Czech record in the 200m; Kreuziger is fourth in Tour de France after stage 15; league winners Plzeň lose to cup holders Jablonec in soccer’s Super Cup; boxer Konečný defends WBO European title; Hlaváčková and Hradecká score their first doubles success since Olympics; and rower Synek tops podium in Lucerne.
Maslák finishes 200 metres in 20:49 to set new Czech record
Pavel Maslák, photo: Ludovic Péron, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sprinter Pavel Maslák has set a new Czech record in the 200 metres. The 22-year-old crossed the line in 20:49 seconds in the final at the European Athletics Under 23 Championships in Finland’s Tampere on Saturday, shaving two tenths of a second off his own record set just one day previously. The Havířov-born runner’s performance also saw him take bronze in the 200 metres; that was a feat matched by his compatriot Adam Sebastian Helcelet in the decathlon in Finland.
Kreuziger fourth overall in Tour de France after 15 stages
Photo: CTK
Czech cyclist Roman Kreuziger was in a commendable fourth place overall in the Tour de France after the race’s 15th stage on Sunday. Kreuziger’s fifth place in the 220-kilometre stage, which involved a steep ascent of Mont Ventoux, was his second best placing on a single day to date. The 27-year-old is supporting his Saxo-Tinkoff teammate Alberto Contador, who was third overall in the sport’s greatest race after stage 15.
Plzeň lose to Jablonec in Super Cup
Viktoria Plzeň - Jablonec, photo: CTK
Ahead of the start of the new Czech soccer season next weekend, last term’s league champions Viktoria Plzeň faced cup winners Jablonec in the Super Cup on Friday. Plzeň went ahead on five minutes but, after their opponents found the net three times in the second half, eventually lost 3:2. The cup, which was introduced four years ago, provided a second trophy for Jablonec boss Roman Skuhravý, who was only appointed in May. The club’s captain Karel Piták quipped that not even Chelsea manager Jose Mourniho had got off to such a successful start.
Konečný defends WBO European title
Lukáš Konečný, Moez Fhima, photo: CTK
The top Czech boxer Lukáš Konečný has defended his WBO European Champion title after beating Moez Fhima of France 3:0 on points in Dresden on Saturday. Around 200 supporters had travelled to the German city from Konečný’s hometown of Ústí nad Labem to cheer him on. His 50th win since turning professional increases his chances of making another shot at a WBO world crown.
Czech duo score first success since London Olympics with Budapest triumph
Lucie Hradecká and Andrea Hlaváčková|Photo: Jaroslav Plašil, Czech Radio
The Czech women’s tennis pairing of Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká triumphed in the doubles competition in tennis’s Hungarian Grand Prix at the weekend. They beat the top-ranked Russian-Georgian pair of Nina Bratchikova and Anna Tatishvili 6–4 6–1 in Sunday’s final in Budapest. It was the Czech duo’s first notable success since they took silver at the Olympic Games in London last summer.
Rower Synek tops podium in final World Cup event of season
Ondřej Synek, photo: CTK
The Czech rower Ondřej Synek continued his excellent season with a podium-topping finish in a World Cup event in Switzerland’s Lucerne. The single sculls silver medalist from the London Olympics finished two seconds ahead of Germany’s Marcel Hacker in Sunday’s final for a second successive triumph in the World Cup series. It was the final such race of the season.
