The Inseparable Duo: Knapkova and Her Coach Run for World Rowing Awards

Czech sculler Mirka Knapková has been shortlisted for this year's World Rowing Awards along with her coach, former lightweight sculler Tomáš Kacovský. They have been nominated in their categories of women's crews and coaches, respectively. The winners are due to be known on 11 November, the International Rowing Federation (FISA) has announced on its website.

As the Idnes.cz news website (affiliated with a broad circulation newspaper, Mladá fronta Dnes) wrote on 2 October, Knapková and Kacovský have been training together for eleven years. Within that period, they were also life partners for six years. That part of relationship broke up but their sport cooperation continues. “That was very demanding. At that moment, you must get clear what you want. It would have been easier to split up, say 'good-bye', and find another coach. But what was connecting us was that both of us wanted to achieve something in the sport. I believed that he as a coach is one of the best,” said Knapková to Idnes.cz.

Videa z mezinárodních veslařských sprintů v Petrohradě a Frankfurtu

ENGLISH TITLE: Videos from International Rowing Sprints in St. Petersburg and Frankfurt

Synek Declared Third Best Czech Athlete of the Year

Czech single sculling world champion, Ondřej Synek has got yet another trophy this year: he has ranked third in the nationwide Athlete of the Year poll voted by sports journalists in the Czech Republic. The results were announced in a ceremony televised live on Wednesday, 22 December.

Synek had already got some clues beforehand: “On the 22nd December on TV the best sportsman of the year will be announced and I’m in the top 10, however I’ve heard that I’ll be in the top three,” said Synek in the second part of interview published on the FISA website on 20 December.

Czech Expectations from World Rowing Championships: Knapkova Wants Any Medal, Synek Only Gold; Slovakia’s Babac Hopes for a Medal Too

Nothing but gold is the goal of Czech Republic’s single sculler, Ondřej Synek, for the upcoming World Rowing Championships in Karapiro, New Zealand. When asked by Czech reporters in a press conference in Prague on 14 October whether he aims for gold, Synek replied: “Nothing else would please me. But, anything can happen.” Synek’s replies were summarised in a number of Czech dailies such as Mladá fronta Dnes (with its website platform Idnes.cz) and Právo (with its affiliate website Sport.cz).

Czech single sculler Ondřej Synek earned Olympic silver in Beijing 2008. Source: screen grab from a YouTube video.

The Czech rower’s life moments may come condensed in three days of November: the A finals of men’s single sculls where Synek is expected to appear as the unbeaten favourite of this season are scheduled for Saturday, 6 November; two days later, his fiancée Pavla Bezová is expected to give birth to their first child. “I hope they will wait for me with the delivery. If it comes sooner, I will feel a little sorry,” the athlete was quoted on the Idnes.cz website as saying.

Elbetour: němečtí skifaři veslovali z Pardubic do Hamburku

ENGLISH TITLE: Elbetour: German Scullers Rowed From Pardubice to Hamburg

Tři veslaři z Německa letos v červenci sjeli téměř celý tok Labe na skifech vyrobených pro veslování na moři. O své cestě průběžně psali na německé internetové stránky Rudern.de.

Světový pohár v Mnichově: česká radost, vzestup Číny, pád Polska

ENGLISH TITLE: World Cup in Munich: Czech Joy, Rise of China, Fall of Poland

Mnichov pravidelně hostí druhý díl veslařského Světového poháru před jeho tradičním finále v Lucernu. V Mnichově už na rozdíl od prvního závodu Světového poháru (kam spousta posádek nejezdí) bývá nabitá konkurence.

Oberschleissheim severně od Mnichova, místo konání mezinárodních veslařských soutěží. Závodní kanál je vidět západně od obce. Zdroj: Google Maps.

Osobní výběr zajímavých momentů z Mnichova:

Skif mužů lehkých vah: Slovák Babač minule (ve slovinském Bledu) čtvrtý, v Mnichově až jedenáctý. Podobně Brazilec da Silva (loňský vicemistr světa v kategorii do 23 let) byl ve Slovinsku těsně před Babačem bronzový, nyní těsně za ním dvanáctý. Toto vše možná jen ilustruje zmíněné obohacení konkurence v Mnichově, kde startovalo 26 skifařů lehkých vah (v Bledu to bylo 13).