Sports News

In Sports News this week: the Czech cross country skiing relay team make history with their first ever World Cup win; Slavia Prague go into the winter break as Czech football league leaders; Rosicky scores for Arsenal but ends up on the losing side, while Nedved secures three points for Juventus; Milan Hejduk notches up three goals and three assists for Colorado in an NHL game against St Louis; and the Czech Republic is chosen as the venue for the 2010 women’s basketball world championships.

Czech cross country skiing relay team win World Cup race for first time

Martin Jaks, Milan Sperl, Lukas Bauer and Martin Koukal, photo: CTK

The Czech cross country skiing relay team made history on Sunday, when they won a World Cup race for the first time ever. Success for Martin Jaks, Lukas Bauer, Milan Sperl and Martin Koukal came in the Swiss resort of Davos, when Koukal crossed the line just centimetres ahead of a member of the Italian team. Czech coach Miroslav Petrasek was a very happy man after the event:

“For me it’s the fulfillment of my dreams as a trainer. Winning the relay shows that our men’s cross country skiing is great. Several of our skiers have won individual medals and now we can add to that the relay – it’s fantastic.”

Slavia go into winter break as league leaders…

Slavia Prague - Kladno, photo: CTK

Slavia Prague go into the winter break as league leaders, after a 1:0 win over Kladno on Friday courtesy of a rare headed goal by Vladimir Smicer. Teplice are five points behind in second, after being beaten 1:0 by local rivals Jablonec. Sparta Prague were three points behind Teplice with a game in hand and were due to play Plzen after the recording of this programme.

…though they have one more game before Christmas

Slavia are in Champions League action this week, when they welcome Sevilla to Prague in the last of this season’s group games. The visitors have more to play for, as they aim to maintain their position at the top of Group H; Slavia will remain third, with a guaranteed berth in the latter stages of the UEFA Cup, no matter what the outcome of Wednesday’s game.

Different fates for goal scorers Rosicky and Nedved

Czech captain Tomas Rosicky scored his fifth goal of the season for Arsenal on Sunday during the Gunners’ 2:1 defeat at Middlesbrough. In Italy Pavel Nedved was more fortunate: his long-range goal minutes from the final whistle secured a 1:0 win for Juventus over Atalanta.

Six points for Hejduk as Colorado beat St Louis

Milan Hejduk (left), photo: CTK

What a night Czech ice hockey forward Milan Hejduk had on Sunday – he notched up three goals and three assists in Colorado’s 9:5 win over St Louis. It was the fifth hat trick of Hejduk’s carreer.

Czech Republic to host 2010 women’s basketball world championships

The Czech Republic has just been selected as the venue for the 2010 women’s basketball world championships; those games will take place in Brno and Ostrava.