Hana Říčná

Hana Říčná was an artistic gymnast who represented Czechoslovakia during the 1980s.  She's the most successful Czech gymnast after Věra Čáslavská.

At the 1983 World Championships she won a silver medal on the balance beam.  Due to the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Olympics she missed her shot at an Olympic medal.  Instead she competed at the 1984 Friendship Games, held in Olomouc, which were the Eastern Bloc's alternative to the Olympics.  There she won silver medals in the all-around and balance team and a team bronze.  She would have been a contender for a medal in LA.

At the Wold Championships in 1985 she won a bronze medal on the uneven bars.  She probably would have retired after the '84 Olympics but she hung around so that she could compete in the 1988 Olympics even though she was no longer in her prime.  At the '88 games she placed seventh with the team and 29th in the all-around.

In 1983 she invented a move on the bars that is named after her.  It is a Stalder to counter reversed straddled Hecht over the high bar.  Here's a video I found out on YouTube of her bronze medal performance at the '85 World Championships.  The first trick that she does on the high bar is the move that's named after her.

She was a local Brno girl.  She was born and also trained here.

In 1994 she moved to the USA and is now a coach in Rhode Island.  Her son, David Jessen, is an elite gymnast who represents Czech Republic internationally, most recently at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Here's a video of him competing at the 2019 World Championships.  The third release and catch move in his routine is the move that his mom invented.

©FIG Channel

2020 Olympic Results

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are now complete.  Of course, due to Covid, the games were postponed to 2021. 

I feel sorry for the athletes.  First, I feel sorry for the athletes who were ready to compete in 2020 and due to the delay missed their window of opportunity to compete.  

Secondly, I feel sorry for the athletes who did get to compete but without crowds.  I'm sure that over the years they dreamed of competing in front of full crowds with their families and loved ones in attendance.  Again, due to Covid, that did happen.  But you can't take anything away from the athletes to worked hard and competed for their respective countries.

The USA topped the medal count with 104 medals (46 gold, 29 silver, 29 bronze), followed by China with 88 medals and the UK with 65 medals.

Czech Republic came in 19th place, behind Jamaica and ahead of North Korea, with 11 medals.  In terms of medals these were the country's most successful summer Olympic results.  

Gold	Jiří Lipták	Shooting	Men's trap
Gold	Jiří Prskavec	Canoeing	Men's slalom K-1
Gold	Lukáš Krpálek	Judo	Men's +100 kg
Gold	Barbora Krejčíková Kateřina Siniaková	Tennis	Women's doubles
Silver	Lukáš Rohan	Canoeing	Men's slalom C-1
Silver	David Kostelecký	Shooting	Men's trap
Silver	Markéta Vondroušová	Tennis	Women's Singles
Silver	Jakub Vadlejch	Athletics	Men's javelin throw
Bronze	Alexander Choupenitch	Fencing	Men's foil
Bronze	Josef Dostál Radek Šlouf	Canoeing	Men's K-2 1000 metres
Bronze	Vítězslav Veselý	Athletics	Men's javelin throw

Here's a short YouTube video I found of the Czech gold medal winners along with the Czech national anthem.

©Olympics

There's a Brno connection as well.  Jiří Lipton, Barbora Krejčíková, David Kostelecký, and Alexander Choupenitich were all born in Brno.

Team Czech sent 115 athletes to compete in 22 sports.

One of the Czech athletes to compete was David Jessen, also born in Brno.  He is the son of 1988 Olympic gymnast Hana Říčná.  As a child he moved to the USA and competed as a junior gymnast before representing Czech Republic.  He competed for Stanford University and represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.  In Tokyo he placed 57th in the all-around event.  In Czechland his club is Brno Sokol.

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul, 서울, is the capital of South Korea.  Officially it is the Seoul Special Metropolitan City and home to over 10 million people.

The Seoul metro area has 25,6 million people.  About twice the entire Czech population lives just in Seoul!  It's the largest city on the Korean Peninsula.

Seoul sits on the Han River and was founded over 2,000 years ago in 18 BC.  The city eventually became the capital during the Joseon Dynasty in 1897.  When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 the city was renamed Gyeongseong until following the city's liberation at the end of WWII.

Seoul was destroyed after the Korean War.  Efforts were put in to building a modern city and today Seoul is home to around 20% of the population.



The Seoul Olympic Stadium opened in 1984.  It was the main stadium used for the 1986 Asian Games and the '88 Olympics.

Sangam Stadium is the Seoul World Cup Stadium and opened in 2001.  The stadium was designed to resemble a traditional Korean kite.  It is the second largest stadium in Korea after the Olympic Stadium but it is the largest football-only stadium in Asia.

Seoul Olympic Park is the city's largest park and it too was built for the '88 Olympics.  It was interesting to see flags flying for countries which participated in the '88 games but no longer exist like Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.  The World Peace Gate celebrates the spirit of the Olympic Games and under the gate is an eternal flame.

The old city hall building was built in 1925.  In 2008 it became the Seoul Metropolitan Library when the new city hall building was built behind it.

Myeongdong Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, was completed in 1898.  It is the largest Catholic church in the country.

Lotte World is the world's largest indoor amusement park.

Lotte World Tower opened in April 2017. At 554,4 metres (1,819 feet) it is the 5th tallest building in the world.  There are great views of the city on the 117th and 118th floors.

DDP is the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and it is located in the fashion district.  It opened in 2014.



The Dongdaemun Gate, officially the Heunginjimun Gate, was built in 1396, remodelled in 1453 and rebuilt in 1869.



The Namdaemun Gate, officially the Sungnyemun Gate, is the largest of the eight stone castle gates in the city.  It was first built in 1398 and rebuilt in 1447.  The gate was destroyed in a fire in 2008 and was reopened in 2013.  The gate is listed as Korea's National Treasure #1.

Namdaemun Market is open 24-hours and it is the oldest and largest traditional market in the city.  It dates back to 1414.

Mt. Namsan is 262 metres (860 feet) tall and is home to Namsan Park which has nice views of the city.  On top is the N Seoul Tower.  It was built in 1971 as the country's first general radio wave tower.  It is 236 metres (774 feet) tall.

The National Theatre of Korea was the first nationally managed theatre in Asia.  It opened in 1950 and hosts the National Drama Company, the National Dance Company, the National Orchestra Company, and the National Youth Theatre.

The Blue House is the executive office and the official residence of the South Korean president.

The 12.23 Fountain honours Admiral Yi Sunshin and the 23 battles he fought using 12 warships.

The Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts opened in 1978.  It is the largest arts and cultural complex in Seoul and is home to the biggest pipe organ in Asia.

King Sejong was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty who reigned from 1418 to 1450 and the man who created the Korean alphabet.

There are 115 museums in Seoul.  The National Hangeul Museum opened in 2014.  The museum is dedicated to Korean orthography and takes up four floors.

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History opened in 2012.  There are four permanent exhibition halls, plus a children's museum covering the 19th century to the present.



Seoul's Gangnam District is the third largest and fourth most populated.  This is the posh part of town and is considered the Beverly Hills of Korea.

The War Memorial of Korea was opened in 1994.  The museum used to be the South Korean Infantry Headquarters and has over 10,000 items on display.

Gyeongbokgug Palace was built in 1395.  It is the largest of the city's five grand palaces and was the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty.  People wearing traditional Korean costumes get free entry to the palace but the kicker is that the rental fee is more expensive than the entry ticket.

However, there were still lots of people in national dress and many kids wanted to take photos with us and try to speak English. I felt like a K-pop star with groupies.

There is so much to see and do here that in a few days we were only able to scratch the surface.  I can't wait to come back.

2012 London Olympic Results

The 2012 London Olympics came to a close last week.  It wasn't a big surprise that the USA topped the medal standings.  With 46 golds, 29 silvers and 29 bronzes, the USA left London with 104 medals.  Way to go USA!!


The Czech Republic did a fine job as well.  With 4 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronzes, the country's 10 medals put them in 19th place.  Not bad for a country that traditionally does much better in the Winter Olympics.




A big congrats to all of the athletes who competed in the games.  It's a huge honor just to be able to compete for your country.  Here are the Czech medal winners.  Huge props!!

Gold Medalists

Miroslava Knapková - Rowing

Barbora Špotálkova - Javelin

David Svoboda - Modern Penthalon

Jaroslav Kulhavý - Mountain Bike Cycling

Silver Medalists

Vavřinec Hradilek - Slalom Canoeing

Ondřej Synek - Rowing

Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká - Doubles Tennis

Bronze Medalists 

Adéla Sýkorová -  Sport Rifle Shooting 3 x 20 shots

Zuzana Hejnová - 400 Meter Hurdles

Daniel Havel, Lukáš Trefil, Josef Dostál and Jan Štěrba - 1000 Meter Flatwater Canoeing

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Last night was the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics.  A few years ago, it became tradition to get together with friends to watch the Parade of Nations on TV.  Part of the tradition is to serve the local food of the host nation.  So I had a few friends over for dinner and TV.

Some places are easier than other.  For the Beijing games, there was Chinese food.  Not a big stretch of the imagination.  For the Athens games I served Greek food.  Again, not a big stretch.  Even for the Atlanta games there were fried green tomatoes and BBQ.  But what does one serve for English food?  Especially when one has to try to come up with English food in the Czech Republic.

Thanks to a few supplies from Nat's last trip to Bristol, I was able to pull it off.  Bangers and Mash (sausages with mashed potatoes), Chicken and Vegetable Pie, and Yorkshire Pudding and Onion Gravy.  There was even Fish 'n Chips.  Well, actually fish sticks and fries but sometimes you just have to get creative.  Nat also scored us a bottle of Pimm's Cup for cocktails.

Pimm's No. 1 Cup is a reddish, gin based spirit that has a spiced citrus taste to it.  We drank it "English-style", mixed with lemonade, and pieces of cucumber, apples and oranges.  Quite refreshing.

London is one hour behind Central European Time so the TV broadcast didn't begin until 9 PM.  Watching on Czech TV was OK but I really would have preferred English-language commentary.  Oh well.  The Brits put on one heck of a show.

One of the funniest things from the broadcast was when the Czech athletes came out during the Parade of Nations.  In keeping with Czech humor, the Czechs marched out in Wellies and carrying brollies.  British English - Wellingtons are rain boots and a brolly is an umbrella.

Good luck to all of the American and Czech athletes competing in the Olympics.  I love that when my parents watch the Olympics on TV, if an American isn't competing, then they always cheer for the Czechs.

Update:  Those Wellies were a big hit.  Apparently, they were so popular that they quickly sold out in London.  

Věra Čáslavská

I've always been a big fan of gymnastics. One of the best gymnasts ever is Czech.

Věra Čáslavská competed for Czechoslovakia during the 1950s and 1960s. She won a total of 35 medals (22 of them gold) at the Olympics, World and European championships.

For over 40 years, she has had the distinction of holding more individual Olympic event titles than any other gymnast in history. Čáslavská is also the only gymnast in history who has won the Olympic gold medal on every individual event - all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. No small feat...especially with that big, blonde beehive hairdo.

In June 1968 she signed a document called "Two Thousand Words" which called for rapid progress towards democracy in Czechoslovakia. In August, the Soviets and other Warsaw Pact countries invaded to end the Prague Spring. In order to avoid arrest for her political stance, she hid out in Šumperk (about an hour from Brno). She was only granted permission to rejoin the Olympic team a few weeks before the Mexico City games opened.

She was a heroine for standing up to the Soviets at the Olympics. The communists, however, were not that pleased with her. Upon her return to Czechoslovakia she was no longer allowed to travel abroad. She was also forbidden to participate in any public sporting events which forced her to retire and she was considered a persona non grata for years.

In the late 1980s, the International Olympic Committee presented her with the Olympic Order. This forced the government into finally allowing her to work as a gymnastics coach and to judge competitions in Czechoslovakia. Other honors followed. In 1995 she was presented with the Czech Republic's Medal of Merit. In 1991 she was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame and in 1998 she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Update:  Věra Čáslavská passed away on 30.8.2016.

Vancouver Final Medal Count

The Olympics are over and the Czechs did pretty well in Vancouver. Their 6 Olympic medals are the most they have ever won in a single Winter Olympiad. Here are the medalists:

Speed Skating
Martina Sáblíková
Gold – 3,000 meters
Gold – 5,000 meters
Bronze – 1,500 meters

Cross-Country SkiingLukáš Bauer
Bronze – 15 km free

Men’s Relay Team
Bronze - 4x10 km

Alpine Skiing
Šárka ZáhrobskáBronze - Slalom

In terms of the overall medal count the Czech Republic placed 13th (tied with Poland). Slovakia placed 18th.

Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals

Ice hockey is big in the Czech Republic. And everyone here is hoping for an Olympic medal from Vancouver. The team ranks sixth in the International Hockey Federation rankings. Sixteen of the teams' players are in the NHL, including captain Patrik Eliáš.

In 1998, at the Nagano Games, the Czechs won the gold medal and the entire country went crazy. I've got to admit that it would be very cool to see something like that. The team won the bronze in the 2006 Torino Olympics.

Well the Czechs are off to a good start so far. In the opening match against Slovakia the Czechs won 3-1. Can you say rivalry? They then beat Latvia 5-2 but lost 2-4 to Russia. They came back last night to beat Latvia again, 3-2, to make it to the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals start today. The USA goes up against Switzerland while the Czechs take on Finland. The winners of these matches will fight it out in the semifinals to make it into the finals. Yes, I really want the Czechs to do well but I still have to root for the USA. I hope they both make it to the semis on Friday. Although, work on Monday should be fun because my colleages will either be really happy or really upset.
EDIT: I hope I didn't jinx it for the Czechs because they lost to Finland and are out of the medals. But Slovakia beat Sweden so they have a chance at a medal. Now the USA just needs to beat Finland to make it to the gold medal match tonight. Go USA!!!

Michal Březina

Michal Březina is a resident of Brno and currently competing in Vancouver. He's just 19 years old and he's the Czech national figure skating champion. In 2010 he placed 4th at the European Championships. It's not like I know him or anything but I've got to cheer for him since he's from Brno.

It's kind of weird for me because I obviously want the U.S. to do well at the Olympics. But I want the Czechs to do well too. My friends and family back home tell me that they are cheering for the Czech athletes too.

He's the only EU skater in the top 10. I think he was underscored and is in 9th place after the short program. Tonight, he performs his long program. If he skates clean, and others make mistakes, then perhaps he'll bring an Olympic medal home to Brno. Hodně štěstí! Good luck!

Here's his gala performance from the 2010 Euros. This isn't the routine he'll do at the Olympics. But this was only an exhibition, and he still went for all of the hard tricks.

Update: He skated clean but ended up in 10th place. But hey, 10th place at the Olympics is still pretty damn good!

2010 Winter Olympics

Today is the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, with the 9 hour time difference between here and Vancouver, I won't be able to watch any of the opening ceremonies.

Czech Television will broadcast live and tape-delayed coverage on channels ČT2 and ČT4. The problem is that the I don't know the schedules and for sure don't understand enough Czech yet. Oh well.

This year's Czech squad is a record high of 92 athletes. Seven of the Czech Republic's 10 winter medals have come in cross-country skiing so they should do well there. Here are the medal contenders...

Lukáš Bauer - cross-country skiing
He is competing in his 4th Olympic Games and he won silver in the 15 km men's classic race in Turino. He placed second at the 2009 World Championships and was the World Cup champion for the 2007-08 season.

Nikola Sudová - freestyle skiing
She is a mogul specialist and has won twice during this season's World Cup circuit. In mid-January she suffered torn knee ligaments in while training and doctors have outfitted here with a special knee brace.

Tomáš Kraus - freestyle skiing
Ski cross makes its Olympic debut in Vancouver where four racers hit the course simultaneously. Kraus was ski cross world champion in 2005 and 2007 and he ranks first in this season's World Cup standings.

Šárka Záhrobská - alpine skiing
She has medaled at the past 3 World Championships and placed first in the slalom in 2007. Her toughest competition comes from American Lindsey Vonn.

Martina Sáblíková - speed skating
She holds 5 World Championship golds and a silver in the 3,000 m, 5,000 m and all-around categories. She narrowly missed a medal at the 2006 games and is seen as the most likely Czech medalist in Vancouver. The interesting thing is that she trains in Erfurt, Germany, because there is no skating oval in the Czech Republic.

Men's ice hockey team
The team ranks sixth in the International Hockey Federation rankings. Sixteen of the teams' players are in the NHL, including captain Patrik Eliáš. The team won the bronze in the 2006 Torino Olympics. Hockey is big here! I heard that the country went crazy when the Czechs won the gold in 1998. The opening match is on February 17th against Slovakia. This should be a good match.

EDIT: It's 3 PM on 13.2 and ČT2 is showing the opening ceremonies. Everything is in Czech but at least I get to see them.

EDIT: The Czechs beat Slovakia 3-1 today. Yeah!! They go up against Latvia on Friday.

EDIT: The Czechs beat Lativa 5-2 on Friday but lost 2-4 on Saturday to Russia. They take on Latvia again on Tuesday night.