Czech Walking Waterloo at the European Walking Cup in Alytus (Lithuania)

Relatively light and playable criteria have been set for this competition this year. Unfortunately, only four Czech pedestrians met them. Anežka Drahotová and Víťa Hlaváč for 20 km, Lukáš Gdula for 50 km and Rosťa Rožnovský for 10 km juniors.

In the end, a mini-team of 3 competitors left, because Anežka Drahotová announced after the Poděbrady race that she did not want to start the EP for many reasons.

IMG 1904The EP in Alytus had a great atmosphere and there were really beautiful fights on it. Unfortunately, as in all these and similar races, I was intrinsically aware of the rather desperate fact that, apart from Poděbrady, we run a completely different discipline in our walking races, a completely different sport! Mainly technically, but also by way of racing and commitment. And I think that two young pedestrians, Víťa Hlaváč and Rosťa Rožnovský, are very well aware of this fact and now it will only depend on them how they approach reality and especially how they decide to continue working with it….

For Lukáš Gdula, this race was the last chance to meet the limit at the World Cup, which narrowly escaped him in Dudince. Unfortunately, the deadline for handing over the "diploma" and the associated measurements at the end of his studies at FEE did not contribute much to his training. Overnight stays, long stands at meters, etc. are not the most suitable regeneration. It just went badly, and the situation didn't really work out. Lukáš set the pace for the necessary time, but somewhere around the middle of the track he was no longer able to keep it and gradually slowed down more and more. Somewhere before the 45th km, he already looked like I had pulled him off the track. The sudden change in the weather, when the sun shone and the temperature in the shadows suddenly climbed to 25 degrees, cannot be an excuse. Simply for races of this type and the fight for the limit, the competitor must be prepared and focused. Including final preparation.

Despite great efforts, Vítek Hlaváč was unable to stay in any of the forming groups. The economics of his walking movement are not, to put it mildly, optimal, and unfortunately it turned out that it is almost impossible to go so fast. Vítek quickly understands and learns, but adjusting the technique the day before and during the race is simply not possible.

The same, even more catastrophic form manifested itself in Rosti Rožnovský… ..

The performance of Czech pedestrians at the EP must be assessed as a complete failure.

RESULTS EUROPEAN WALKING CUP ALYTUS