Pavol Szikora (March 26, 1952 Lučenec - May 22, 2021)

The news came suddenly and unexpectedly to me. I still believed that Pali, as everyone had called him, could do it. Although he has had serious health problems for a long time. Pali Szikora was a man in his fifties. The Czechoslovak and, after the division of the republic, the Slovak national team, whose form culminated during the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. However, none of the athletes of the Czech Republic and other Soviet satellites, except Romania's courageous stance, could leave. Moscow (where the strength of the Czechoslovak walk showed itself so it had to be eliminated and both Pribilinec and Mrázek were unjustly disqualified from the leading position) won silver for 50 km.

He was a participant in the first World Championships in Athletics in 1983 - eleventh place, then 1987 where he took seventh place and in 1991 sixteenth place. He competed twice at the 50km at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992 (10th and 27th place). He finished eighth at the 1986 European Athletics Championships. He was 1991th in the XNUMX World Cup.

He won the title of champion of the republic (Czechoslovakia) for 50 km six times. 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1991. He is a two-time 50km winner in Poděbrady, a real legend. He achieved the best performance in Dudince 3:42:20, which is still a world class performance today. It took 22 years before another world champion Matěj Tóth broke this record in 2009.

He was a long-term member of the Dukla Banská Bystrica club, initially a charge of Václav Vágner and then Juraj Benčík. After finishing his sports career, he worked in his hometown of Fiľakovo and coached, among others, the well-known Hungarian champion Zoltán Cukor, a long-time legendary participant in Poděbrady and Dudinec.

However, this is only one side of the coin, the sporting one.

The human one is just as important, and without it Pali would not be able to prove his mastery. I was lucky enough to meet him in the national team as an athlete he was completely reliant on. He was honest in training, a type of hard worker who relied on his mileage and his inner strength and endurance, which was not only trained, but also endurance and endurance of life. As can be seen from the above lines, he was a sports star, especially his 50km superpower at the time was from another planet. At the same time, however, he remained modest, introverted, with a nice smile, willing to help, advise, listen to problems. I will not forget his light step and perfect walking technique, the thousands of kilometers found seem to lighten him up and not knock him down into the tourist hard work on the track. With a typical head posture and a focused expression on his face, he will stay in our memories for a long time.

I was honored to race with him, later to meet him in Poděbrady as an honorary guest among the legends, to meet him in Dudince. His Christmas wishes, not only for me, but also for other former national team walkers and friends, became a certainty that the world was fine. It's not quite because Pali will be missing.

Honor his sports and human memory! Mila Lapka

FACTS ABOUT PAVL SZIKOR:

Clubs (coaches): VSŽ Košice (1968 - 1971, František Mikluščák, since February 1969 Tibor Rimai), Dukla Prague (1971 - 1973, Alexander Zvolenský), VSŽ Košice (1973 - 1983, Tibor Rimai, since 1976 external Václav Vágner), Dukla Banská Bystrica (1984 - 1992, Juraj Benčík).

OH: 50 km walk 1988 10. (3:47:04), 1992 27. (4:17:49).

MS: 1983 11. (3:59:03), 1987 7. (3:49:44), 1991 16. (4:14:59).

ME: 1986: 8. (3:51:35), 1990 disqualified.

Druzba 1984 (kontra-OH): 2. (3:45:53).

Walking World Cup: 1981 semifinal 50 km 4. (4:22:30), team 1. ČSSR, final 32. (4:37:21), team 5. ČSSR, 1983 semifinal 6. (4:23:58 ), team 1. ČSSR, 1985 semifinal 1. (4:03:23), team 1. ČSSR, final 23. (4:16:55), team 5. ČSSR, 1987 final 25. (4:03:20 ), team 7. ČSSR, 1991 final 16. (4:00:39), team 7. ČSFR, 1993 47. (4:23:58), team 11. SR.

Cs. titles: walking 50 km 1983 (3:56:14), 1985 (3:54:58), 1986 (3:49:00), 1988 (3:46:52), 1990 (3:55:04), 1991 (3:49:27).

Slovak titles: 50 km 1987 (3:42:20), 1991 (3:49:27).

Cs. unit: 50 km 1983 - 1988 (3:56:14, 3:45:53, 3:54:58, 3:49:00, 3:42:20, 3:46:52), 1991 (3:49 : 27). Slovak unit: 50 km 1982 - 1988 (4:02:42, 3:56:14, 3:45:53, 3:54:58, 3:49:00, 3:42:20, 3:46:52 ), 1991 (3:49:27).

Personal records: 20 km 1:23:20 (1987), 50 km 3:42:20 (1987).

Awards: Master of Sports, Deserved Master of Sports.