Juraj Benčík has accepted the invitation and will be our guest of honor at the "Olomouc Twenty" on April 18, 2020!

The walking mage, world walking personality and coaching legend of the former Czechoslovakia and now Slovakia Juraj Benčík celebrated his 15th birthday on Saturday, February 75th! Congratulations! At the same time, Juraj Benčík accepted our invitation to our great joy and will be our guest of honor at the Olomouc Twenty on April 18, 2020.

Benčík is an athletic and sports fanatic, there is no doubt about that. Moreover, even at his age, he is still incredibly vital and founded the "Student Walking League", thanks to which he discovered several talents - Patrik Spevák, Mira Úradník, Patrik Nemcoko, and now Jakub Bátovský, the son of former Walking Olympian Miloš Bátovský, looks great. In addition, he still trains young people in the Banská Bystrica club ŠK BCF and in villages in the vicinity of the Central Slovak capital. "I usually have 6 to 8 different groups under my thumb, it's variable. Children come and go, but in total there are always about a hundred to one hundred and twenty. I go to trainings every day except Sunday, some day I even have up to three. It's not enough, but - I'm still prosecuting, ". "For example, on Monday I train for half one children in Polomka, at three I am already in Bacúch and at six in the evening I have another training in Žiar nad Hronom. He enjoys every success, but as a well-known maximalist, he would like many more: "I want to be more successful and successful in athletics, to be seen in the world, to be recognized, and to present ourselves as a sporting landscape through athletic results."

WHO IS JURAJ BENČÍK  He was born on February 15, 2 in Tótkomlós, Hungary, he started as a football player, but since 1945 he has been involved in athletics. In Dukla Banská Bystrica he was the first Slovak pedestrian - professional, he won 1960 titles of champion of Czechoslovakia (6 km - 20, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977 km - 50, 1970). He represented in 1972 international matches, at the 10 Olympics in Moscow 1980th in 13 km, at the 50 European Championships in Prague 1978th and 13 km. From 20 he was the chief coach of the walk in Dukla, he led the Czechoslovak. (1980 - 1980), the Norwegian (1990 - 1991) and the Slovak national team (1992 - 1993).

His trustees won 16 medals at top senior events (balance 7 - 7 - 2). He coached both Slovak athletic Olympic winners Jozef Pribilinec and Matej Tóth.

His trustees won the Czechoslovak poll five times in a row. Athlete of the Year (1986 - 1988 Jozef Pribilinec, 1989 Roman Mrázek, 1990 Pavol Blažek) and won the Slovak poll three times in the era of independence (Igor Kollár 1993 and Matej Tóth 2006, 2013). Holder of the state award For Outstanding Work (1983), Silver Circles SOV (2001) and Gold Badge SOV (2015), since 2014 he has been a member of the Hall of Fame of Slovak Athletics.

BENČÍK'S MEDALISTS

JOSEF PRIBILINEC: GOLD (OH 1988 at 20 km, ME 1986 at 20 km, HME 1987 and 1988 at 5000 m, SP 1983 at 20 km), SILVER (World Championships 1983 and 1987 at 20 km, European Championships 1982 at 20 km, HMS 1987 at 5000 m)

PAVOL BLAZEK:  GOLD (EC 1990 at 20 km), BRONZE (European Championship 1982 at 20 km)

ROMAN MRAZEK: SILVER (HMS 1989 at 5000 m, HME 1988 and 1989 at 5000 m), BRONZE (HME 1987 at 5000 m)

MATEJ TÓTH: GOLD (Olympic Games 2016 at 50 km *, WC 2015 at 50 km *, WC 2010 at 50 km), SILVER (EC 2014 and 2018 for 50 km *) Note: (*) At the time of winning the medal, he no longer trained with J. Benčík.

He stood at the birth of sports walking in Slovakia and fell completely in love with this discipline. In the 80s, he was given the attribute of a pedestrian mage. Some of them sarcastically sneer at him, but he rightfully belongs to him. Slovak athletics, who has been in her service for six decades, has never had a more successful coach. He coached Olympic winners, European champions, world and European vice-champions. Juraj Benčík will celebrate his 20th birthday on Saturday. ol the first pedestrian - a professional in Dukla, Banská Bystrica, he started at the European Championships and the Olympic Games, but he gained the greatest fame as a coach. However, he got the job of a coach - by accident.

"When my first coach Jožko Burcl left to study from Trnava to Bratislava and became more ill, we stayed vinegar. Juraj, what are we going to do now? - I was asked helplessly by guys from our training group, mostly students of the Trnava engineering industry. So I got back and started preparing trainings for them. In 1962, I sent a request to an athletic association that I was interested in completing a coaching course. I received a negative reply from the then Secretary General, Mr Ovečka. I can't, because I don't have eighteen…. I did not give up, I wrote him a long, explanatory letter and - I got an exception. At the age of XNUMX, I already had the first junior champion of Czechoslovakia - Pavel Beň. "

23 years later, he was already proud of his protégé, Jozef Pribilinec, who won the 1988 km race in Seoul in 20. For the next 28 years, he enjoyed the 50 km triumph of Matej Tóth in Rio de Janeiro, which he had been preparing for XNUMX years in Dukla, Banská Bystrica. Juraj Benčík was a leading pedestrian, at one time a pedestrian and a coach at the same time, and finally a top coach. Therefore, it can compare. Which is harder - a career as a top athlete or a coaching craft?

"Definitely the job of a coach. As a racer, you are only responsible for yourself. I coach and many others, it is a significantly greater burden, " accentuates. "A top trainer must love his robot, he must have good intuition and he must not lack courage." According to Benčík, the training robot has an incredible charm. "It doesn't matter if you find out you're doing well. The trainer is as a chemist in the laboratory or as the famous Russian breeder and fruit grower Michurin. You mix something specific for everyone during the training and wait for what will become of them, " Benčík is excited. "It's also beautiful when your work brings joy to others. For example, after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, I was stopped on the street by complete strangers and thanked me for a nice experience from Pribilinec's golden twenties… "

By the way, Pribilinac's gold from Seoul. He is the most proud of him in his coaching career. However, he respects every medal that hundreds of pedestrians who have passed through his coaching school have won - whether at domestic championships or top world and European events. "I am also proud that most of my men and women have understood that in addition to sports, it is necessary to be educated. Many came to me with an apprentice, and when they finished their careers, they had a college degree. Many have caught on in everyday life - they are doctors, lawyers, associate professors, Peťo Korčok is the chairman of our athletic association. I'm proud that none of he didn't do my trustees, but also because since 1978 I have had a racer for almost four decades at every top event. "

When you ask Juraj Benčík which of his trustees worked with him, he does not hesitate for a moment, and immediately pulls out five names from his sleeve: „Blažek and Szikora, Jožo Pribilinec, Peťo Korčok and Maťo Tóth. It's true that I had conflicts with the Pribilinc from time to time, but he needed them. They kicked him and brought him progress. " There has long been a rumor about Benčík that he is extremely strict with his charges. "For some, yes, not for others. For example, I had to be strict with Igor Kollár, but never with Blažek. I didn't have to check to see if he was in bed at ten o'clock, and he wasn't having fun at a disco. Yes, I'm strict, but only when the situation requires it, " Benčík remarked.

When he celebrated his 2015th birthday in February XNUMX, in an interesting debate - Juraj Benčík is a great speaker - he told Matej Tóth Olympic gold in Rio. "I trust him! He has it, he will be in the best walking age in Rio. Of course, he will have capable opponents, but he has already proven that he keeps up with them. " Benčík's forecast came out one hundred percent. Mato became world champion in Beijing in half a year and Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro in a year and a half…

Juraj Benčík, XNUMX, realizes that he will probably no longer train the third pedestrian, who shines the most valuable metal on his chest under five circles. But he hasn't given up yet. "It simply came to our notice then. I worked with Joža Pribilinec for eleven years, also with the second Olympic champion Matej Tóth. I realize that the third time it won't work out like this, but I'm trying to compensate by trying to at least find their successor. So I'm looking for…, “ Benčík admitted.

The walking mage will celebrate his anniversary in the circle of his large family - he has six children, ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. "We'll all meet at the party, which is a really big deal. We are a large family, but everyone has many different responsibilities and putting us all together so that no one is missing is a rarity. The fact that we will all meet will be the biggest birthday present for me. In my 75 years of life, I have been convinced that family is the most valuable asset I have. " emphasized Juraj Benčík.