Fantasy performed by Czech pedestrians at the U23 European Championship for 20 km walking. Guys 3 x BRAVO!!!!!!!!!

The boys fought until their bodies were torn apart for the results, and they also appeared - summed up in a nutshell: Excellent performance by Jaromír MORÁVEK 1:25:33h means excellent 7th place in Europe and a great Czech U23 record, of course also an excellent personal record in 20 years!!!! Adam ZAJÍČEK also gave an excellent performance 1:27:03h, which also made him into the TOP 10!!!

Eliška Martínková, the big favorite in the women's race, was unfortunately disqualified. 

RESULTS MAN 20KM RACE WALK / RESULTS MAN 20KM RACE WALK

RESULTS WOMAN 20KM WALK / RESULTS WOMAN 20KM RACE WALK

In the early evening of Wednesday 12.7. the EC U23 started in Espoo with the first discipline. In the 20km walk, she presented herself as a hot favorite for the precious metal Eliska Martínková, who wanted a medal and a limit for the WC in Budapest. 23 female competitors were at the start with her.

The race was held in sunny weather, on the 20thºC it was quite promising pleasant racing conditions. The race track was far from perfect. A long sloping area immediately after the finish line with a hump, uneven asphalt, a 180º turn... far from the ideal of the Poděbrady racing circuit. However, the flood of OR and SB of a whole range of male and female competitors shows how European up-and-coming youth are able to prepare for big races.

From the first meters of the race, a group of 5 women went to the front, the first to drop was the Turkish competitor, who in the end did not finish the race. Subsequently, Moutard (FRA) and co-favorite Mihai (ITA) released. Eliška Martínková held on to another French, Pauline Stey, who was going beautifully. After the first kilometer in 4:40 se started fromryfarm and the pace was kept at level 4:32 - 4:35. Unfortunately, at this pace, it was confirmed that at this level our pedestrian number one has technical problems, and after about 22 minutes of the race, Eliščina's name was already 2 proposals for exclusion. The third target came very soon and Eliška had to stop for 2 minutes in the Pit lane. After returning to the race, she chose an offensive strategy, because there was not much to lose, she set off sharply in the next meters and the race quickly ended for her with the fourth card even before the halfway point. The start at the WC will most likely not concern her (she is high enough in the ranking, but she is still far short of the qualifying limit), so the race at the Universiade can be the next highlight of the season and a small patch for today's disappointment. We wish Eliška that she quickly overcomes today's disappointment and goes into the next races with a technically certain step. In a new U23 national record, France's Stey became the winner of the race with an excellent performance 1:31:17. 3 competitors did not see the finish line, 11 women surpassed their personal or season bests.

30 minutes after the women started their race, the men also took to the track. Among the 24 competitors were our fighters, Adam Zajíček and Jaromír Morávek, in the second half of the starting field, and coach Ketner considered the first twelve to be a success. Both are in the men's category for the first year, and just participating in the ME U23 should have been a success for them. From the first meters of the race, the Spaniard Mcgrath dominated, who with a start-finish style finished for a clear victory and OR in an excellent time of 1:21:03. Speciesemu Ital He gave Cosima 2 minutes. Bigthe biggest shock, and joy for the organizers, was the surprising bronze placing of the local competitor Jokinen in the national record U 23 - 1:24:41.

Our fighters started in a group fighting for 10th - 16th place and going for a performance of 1:26:00, which would mean OR for both pedestrians. Jaromír Morávek was at the head of this group for most of the race, and his training partner was just behind him. The group gradually moved forward and at 10 km in 43:03 the competitors were already in 7th - 13th place. Our men still went without a single target and at 14 km they were already fighting for the TOP 10. About 5 km before the finish line, Adam Zajíček dropped out of the group, but he still went for a great position and an excellent time. Around 17 km, it accelerated significantly, the men came close to the third German Frenzl at that time. He quickly retreated behind Adam Zajíček, in front of whom a great battle was taking place. Party tempo dropped to level 4: 10/km and Jaromír Morávek started having technical problems. He quickly got 2 proposals, but there were less than 2km left to the finish line. Although Jarda dropped out of the fight for bronze and lost slightly to his rivals, he still managed to get a big OR 1:25:33, thereby improving his Poděbrady personal record by a full 2 ​​minutes. In addition, he completed this with a great 7th place and significantly exceeded table expectations. Jarda performed a feat that we haven't seen in many years. In 2016, Lukáš Gdula went on the fast track in Poděbrady 1:25:50, but that's inwhat.

Jard's performance of 1:25:33h today is the Czech U23 record and the tenth in the Czech historical tables for 20km walking. 3x Bravo!!!!

In the end, the suffering Adam Zajíček finished in an excellent ninth place. Despite the difficult last kilometers, he also managed an excellent performance, his second best - 1st:27:03, when he lost less than half a minute to the ideal one from Poděbrady. Adam was slightly disappointed in the interview after the race, but there is no reason why. Both the location and the performance can withstand the most stringent standards.

The coach and both competitors can be extremely satisfied. Even so, a dark cloud hangs over their perfect performance. Karel Ketner had two limiters at the European Championship U23. Only Kateřina Čermáková was nominated as a coach for pedestrians (as the coach of a potential medalist, she had the right to be there!). However, Karel Ketner, as the coach of two limiters, could only travel on his own!!! It is certainly not easy for the new father of twins to divert so much money to his hobby, he already takes unpaid time off from work, so his mother Jaromíra Morávek became the sponsor of his participation in the EC.

How many other coaches have 2 charges at the start of the EC? Grandma and Pernica. Otherwise, perhaps no one.

Is Czech athletics really in such a bad state that there is no place in the team for a coach whose 2 wards have met the participation limit? Sure, parents should be the ones funding their kids' hobbies. But is this really okay at this level, with a coach who obviously has results and got two athletes into the TOP 10? Will they be compensated after this performance? hard…

Let's hope this doesn't discourage the promising training group, after a lot of gossip and throwing sticks under their feet, one wouldn't be surprised. Next time, we recommend a collection on HITHITU, Donia or another platform. You or your parents will pay for it first, but many of us will certainly be happy to help you.

The amazing racing day of both fighters is spoiled by more than a dark cloud...