Judge Lukáš Krpálek (right) and Guram Tušišvili from Georgia in a bronze medal match.
Vít Šimánek, ČTK
The battle for bronze was a clear matter for the Georgian Tushishvili, was it far to the medal?
I wanted to fight for her and put everything into it. Unfortunately, I did not succeed. At the same time, the preparation for the match was good, we said to myself that I must not fall asleep, unfortunately I fell asleep twice and made mistakes. Overall, it was not optimal from me, my readiness can not be compared with previous years, which was reflected in the result.
What will you take away from the Prague tournament?
For me, this is a huge motivation towards the Olympics. I really wanted to have a medal from the European Championships in Prague, the more I will look for it to come in Tokyo. We will hope that the measures will pass and we will be able to prepare and travel as we were used to. Because without preparation, the results cannot be done.
You have completed several training camps.
Unfortunately, there was not enough sparring for me to prepare well. There was nothing better to do under these conditions. It can be seen that if I want to think about the Olympic medal, the preparation must look different. But it will depend on whether the measures relax. Perhaps we will be able to go to various camps with the best and we will not be trapped at home.
A flash of hope. Judge Krpálek did not win the bronze medal
Did you feel that your strength was dwindling faster after covid-19?
You can’t throw it at that. I think the main reason is really the preparation that was not ideal. Because it doesn’t happen that I fall on a wazari four times a day.
The championship took place in front of empty stands. Do you think that you could squeeze more out of the audience?
When you race at home in front of a crowded hall, it will kick you a lot. But it’s hard to say if it would be on the medal today… It is true that if the European Championship was in another country, I don’t know if I would start after such preparation.
Judge Lukáš Krpálek from the Czech Republic (left) lost the battle for bronze at the European Championships with Guram Tušišvili from Georgia.
Vít Šimánek, ČTK
The tournament was generally unsuccessful for Czech judo. Nevertheless, do you believe that, given the successes in the youth categories, the results might no longer be up to you?
I think this can be seen in the results of juniors and competitors under 23 years. Czech judo has a great future, there are a lot of great boys and girls who had a chance to start at the European Championships. Unfortunately, they did not succeed, for example, it could be seen on Renča Zachová that she was already slightly tired, when she was two weeks after her junior peak, the mood was not ideal. But I am convinced that Czech judo has something to look forward to, I am very happy to see them wash and how they fight. It didn’t turn out well here, but in a few years Czech judo will be somewhere else.
How will you get disappointment out of your head?
By flying back into preparation. A few days of rest, then I will be preparing for other tournaments, I have a huge taste and motivation to have a medal next time. Fifth place is also beautiful, but I wanted to win a medal at home.
Do you have any idea when the next tournament might be waiting for you?
Before the European Championships, we said we would discuss it when the championship was over. So now we will agree on the preparation and other tournaments, if there are any…
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