Kraków (from our correspondent) – “I was in a depressed mood after the individual semi-final, but today it got better with each discipline and it culminated at the end,” smiled Vlach with satisfaction. She already has a triumph in the World Cup, Křenková won her first gold among adults.
In Krakow, they also corrected their unfavorable joint balance sheet. “We completed the mixed relay together about five years ago at the European Junior Championships. I didn’t do well there and it was unpleasant, since then I think Kája didn’t want to race with me. So maybe I’ve improved my reputation,” hoped the 26-year-old Vlach, and Křenková, two years younger, nodded in agreement.
Photo: Filip Komorous
Winners of the mixed relay in the modern pentathlon at the European Games in Krakow, Poland. Martin Vlach and Karolína Křenková.
The Czech duo won by five points when they also mastered the pitfalls of parkour. “The horses we rode were previously ridden by Germans and had probably the worst score. But it turned out that it was more the riders’ mistakes than the horses’,” recounted Křenková. “I had a 15-year-old horse, the owner advised me that I should sometimes use a whip, but it was not necessary, we agreed with the horse,” praised Vlach.
The final discipline combining shooting and running is his domain. “I knew that Martin is the best runner here, he is the king of this discipline. When I saw the second one run out of the first shot, I knew it could be good. The whole thing moved me,” admitted the native of Hořovice.
The successful pentathletes already knew how they would celebrate their triumph, first they were going to get rid of hunger. “The celebration will be big, I would like a burger,” smiled Křenková. “I was here at the pizzeria on Wednesday, but when I saw what kind of burgers they had there, I would have one too,” agreed her golden partner. “Then let’s go for a burger,” ordered Křenková.