Did you have a dilemma whether or not to prefer watching the athletics championship?
As I really like biathlon… I have been here in Nové Město na Morava several times. Now that there was covid and the audience couldn’t come, it was so sad. So I said to myself, no, I can watch athletics all my life, I want to experience it here.
When did you start enjoying biathlon so much?
Even when I was racing myself, the coach forced me to cross-country ski a lot. We spent many winters in the Giant Mountains and he always told me that cross-country skiing was such a change from running around stadiums or in the forest. He even taught me a little and I developed a relationship with them. After that, biathletes began to prosper and a biathlon mania arose. And I know I shouldn’t say this… But sometimes I like biathlon a little more than athletics. But only sometimes. (smile)
Were you ever tempted to try biathlon when you spent the winters on cross-country skis?
No, I can’t even imagine that. It’s a tough sport. As I train, I always tell my clients to look at the biathletes who compete on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And they have it every week. The athlete runs the race and is done for a fortnight. (smile) Biathlon is hard work, and it’s often cold…
But you probably haven’t experienced an atmosphere like here in the Vysočina Arena at athletics.
No, people like it here. I guess the medals did that a few years ago too. I was a little afraid that maybe not so many people would come. But now on Saturday there were over 27,000 people here… It’s beautiful.
So you won’t miss the World Cup here in a year?
I won’t. Even though I’m frail and frozen and I think I’m probably not going to go anymore and I see more of it on TV anyway… But then it still takes me away and I’m here.
In Nové Město na Morava, you managed to watch the final of the women’s Thursday in the TV studio. Were you pleased that your European indoor championship record stood up to Femke Bolova when she already robbed you of the indoor world record this year?
I don’t enjoy the halls that much. The summer one, who will be forty years old in July, surpassed them. I didn’t compete indoors much, there weren’t that many opportunities. I still trained outdoors or on skis. Now the conditions are much better, I didn’t even think that it would be possible to train in South Africa or the Canary Islands during the winter. And I really wish that girl the best.
Do you like the relaxed style of the Dutch woman Bolová?
Likes. In addition, as she is a hurdler, she has tremendous power in the turns in the hall. She is a bit unlucky that the American McLaughlin has also improved so much on the hurdles.
How did you like the sight of two Czech women in Thursday’s final? Apparently, it could remind you of your time with Taťána Kocembová.
Exactly. It was a pleasant sight. Lada Vondrová was expected to get there, but for Tereza Petržilková it was a huge success. It looked pretty…
Moreover, it is a promise for Sunday’s relay.
I don’t want to predict, the Dutch will probably win and anything can happen behind them. There are six relays and our girls can run a decent result, I wish them well.
