Belgrade (from our reporter) – Her great discipline was double sculls throughout her career. First with sister Jitka, then with Kristýna Fleissnerová, with whom she became European champion. When her mate became pregnant, Lukšová was left alone in the ship.
Last year at the World Championships in Račice, she made the B final, and at the last World Cup in Lucerne, she finished eighth overall, but in the toughest possible competition on the Sava River, it was a struggle from the start. “I couldn’t get into the race at all, I don’t know why and I can’t explain it,” she said sadly.
What’s next? Olympic places will be fought for next spring in Lucerne. “Now I’m mainly looking forward to going home,” she didn’t want to make long-term plans yet.
When he has absorbed the failed championship, he will discuss his rowing future with coach Josef Lukš. “If she wants, I’ll help her with anything and everything. If he doesn’t want to, nothing can be done,” says the coach, who is also her husband.
He thus has a perfect overview of her determination and training diligence. “She gave it a lot, she was strict with herself, so I’m sorry how it turned out here. Since 2009, Léňa has been continuously working on it. I don’t know a rower who has had more training. She sat in a boat without any break, even two months after the operation for her torn biceps,” she describes.
But he is not quite at home on the skiff yet. “They are still learning it, we use it as a training tool. Léňa is not quite the ideal somatotype for him, he must be ready to at least 98 percent, otherwise he is not enough for the top. Like here,” Lukš saw.
Photo: Czech Rowing Association
Lenka Lukšová at the finish of the final D at the World Championships in Belgrade.
But one solution is offered directly in his training group. Lukšová’s possible sidekick has grown up in 22-year-old Anna Šantrůčková, who already has a gold medal from the junior world championship in the pair without a coxswain.
“We talked about it in Lucerne, the girls have a similar quality of performance,” admits Lukš. At the famous regatta on Lake Rotsee, Šantrůčková, nine years younger, finished just behind Lukšová.
“We have agreed that at the World Championships one will go to taste the skiff level, and then we will agree whether the double skiff will or not. Hopefully it wasn’t too demotivating for Léňa,” hopes the coach.
So far, both female skiers have sat in a double skiff once at a training camp in Sabaudia, Italy. “But now they went together in the doubles four at the national championship, where they won together. It’s important that both of them are passionate about it and want it,” says Lukš.
Then his wife can also think about a respectable fourth Olympic start. “If there are any girls who should complete the Olympic nomination, it’s these two. We don’t have other top players,” adds the coach. In Belgrade, Radka Novotníková and Pavlína Flamíková started in Paris in a pair without a coxswain and a light double skiff Miroslav Vraštil and Jiří Šimánek.