The coronavirus pandemic crushed life on the planet in the end of the year. Of course, the sports one as well. The summer Olympics planned for Tokyo had to be postponed, there was no European football championship, world hockey championship, tennis Wimbledon and many other championships and top competitions.
But even so, Czech athletes gathered a lot of success and valuable laurels, which is why the 62nd year of the Athlete of the Year of the Czech Republic poll, organized by the Club of Sports Journalists in cooperation with the BPA sport marketing agency, took place this year. However, due to the prevailing hygiene measures and government regulations without the mentioned gala evening, by which the new king of Czech sport, David Pastrňák, was deprived. Another nine stars of Czech sport appearing in the top ten as well, which of course also applied to the three best teams and the legend introduced to the imaginary Hall of Fame of Czech sport Antonín Panenka.
David Pastrňák (right) took over the crown for the winner of the Athlete of the Year 2020 poll, Antonín Panenka was listed among the legends.
BPA
However, TV viewers did not lose their sports fame, as it was recorded in advance by cameras in the Libeň Sokolovna and appeared on screens on Tuesday evening. This time it was in the spirit of the motto: StarDance winners dance and congratulate the sports winners.
The biggest congratulations were, of course, the winning David Pastrňák, the best NHL scorer last season. It took a long fifteen years for the poll to be won again by a representative of the collective sport, as Pastrňák became only the fourth hockey player in history to become the king of sports in the country.
Petra Kvitová took fifth place in Athlete of 2020.
BPA
“Jarda Jágr fifteen years ago, Dominik Hašek after Nagano and …,” Pastrňák searched in his memory for those before you. However, he immediately remembered. “Of course, Mr. Mikoláš,” he recalled the legendary goalkeeper of the Czechoslovak national team and Vítkovice, who became Athlete of the Year forty-nine years ago.
“Unbelievable, I could never have imagined that I could become the Athlete of the Year like them. After all, hockey is a collective sport, so individuals are viewed differently, “he admitted.
It is decided. The winner of the Athlete of the Year 2020 poll is David Pastrňák.
BPA
“The most beautiful gift I could have received this Christmas. The crown is beautiful. Exactly magnificent, “he caressed in his hands a crystal trophy, designed and made by sculptor, artist and glass designer Alena Matějka.
“At home, they made a great Hall of Fame for me, so the crown will be under the tree first, and then in the most important place among all the trophies and awards I have won in my career so far,” Pastrňák assured.
| Poll Athlete of the Year of the Czech Republic 2020 | |||
| 1. David PASTRŇÁK | hockey | 1253 | 250 000 |
| 2. Ester LEDECKÁ | snowboarding, alpine skiing | 1109 | 200 000 |
| 3. Martina SÁBLÍKOVÁ | Speedskating | 1051 | 170 000 |
| 4. Tomáš SOUČEK | football | 994 | 140 000 |
| 5. Petra KVITOVÁ | tennis | 936 | 120 000 |
| 6. Ondřej PALÁT | hockey | 915 | 100 000 |
| 7. Jiří PRSKAVEC | water slalom | 789 | 80 000 |
| 8. Tomáš SATORANSKÝ | basketball | 686 | 70 000 |
| 9. Markéta DAVIDOVÁ | biatlon | 673 | 60 000 |
| 10. Tomáš BÁBEK | cycling | 648 | 50 000 |
| Note: athlete and sports industry, number of points, financial reward in crowns | |||
Pastrňák, who was among the top ten for the third time in a row, as he was fourth in 2018 and took third place last year, won on points relatively convincingly, however, Martina Sáblíková won the most first places on the ballots of 214 sports journalists. The speed skater, who won the title of world champion in Salt Lake City on the 3,000 m track, was given the highest possible number of points by 45 journalists, but in the end it was only enough for her on the bronze podium.
David Pastrňák receives congratulations from the head of the National Sports Agency, Milan Hnilička.
BPA
Second place went to Ester Ledecká, a successful skier and snowboarder in one person. The fourth place overall was the football player Tomáš Souček, who wore the West Ham United jersey. Tennis player Petra Kvitová won fifth place.
Petra Kvitová can spend Christmas with her family. He is mainly looking forward to fairy tales
Sport.cz, BPA
Stanley Cup holder Ondřej Palát took sixth place. The seventh was water slalom skier Jiří Prskavec. Eighth place belongs to basketball player Tomáš Satoranský. The ninth was the successful biathlete Markéta Davidová. And the tenth place was won by the track cyclist, Tomáš Bábek, the holder of European gold.
It is not without interest that each of the ten nominated finalists got to the first place of one of the ballot papers. For example, Pastrňák appeared on it in 36 cases, Tomáš Souček in 33, at the end of this ranking are Jiří Prskavec with two first places and Tomáš Bábek with three .
Thanks to my placement in the Athlete of the Year poll, track cycling can be seen again, pleased Tomáš Bábek
Sport.cz, BPA
Martina Sáblíková confirmed this year’s third place that she is already one of the legends of Czech sport. He is in the medal position in the poll for the eighth time in his career. In 2007, 2009 and 2010 she won, she was second twice and this year she won the bronze place for the third time
Tomáš Souček has been the best-placed footballer since 2004, when Pavel Nedvěd was also in fourth place. In the meantime, although Petr Čech collected eight nominations, he finished fifth best.
| The best sports team of the year | ||
| 1. BIATHLON – MIXED RELAY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC (Puskarčíková, Davidová, Moravec and Krčmář) | 336* | CZK 100,000 |
| 2. FOOTBALL – national team of the Czech Republic men | 336* | CZK 80,000 |
| 3. FOOTBALL – representation of the Czech Republic under 21 307 financial reward 60 CZK | 307 | CZK 60,000 |
| * The first place was decided by a higher number of better placements. | ||
The category of teams was unprecedentedly balanced this year. For the first time in history, the teams in the first two places achieved the same point gain, so the winner was decided by an auxiliary criterion.
The mixed relay of biathletes and the football national team A-team scored 336 points each. They were judged by a higher number of better placements. The biathletes were placed in the first place by 69 voting journalists, the footballers by two less.
The strength of the team is great. I believe that we can take care of the surprise at the European Championships, believes Jaroslav Šilhavý
Sport.cz, BPA
After the individual victory of Gabriela Koukalová in 2017, biathlon thus won the historically first triumph among teams. In the past, the biathlon relays ended second twice and twice third. Ondřej Moravec changed his fourth nomination, Eva Puskarčíková received her second attempt.
It’s a great prestige to be in the Hall of Fame when I’m from team sports, says Antonín Panenka
Sport.cz, BPA
The football legend Antonín Panenka became a sports legend inducted into the Czech Sports Hall of Fame, who, among other things, became famous for his legendary penalty in the finals of the 1976 European Championships, where the Czech national team won gold.
“A huge award, which I greatly appreciate. Emil and Dana Zátopek, Věra Čáslavská, Pepík Masopust, Ivan Hlinka and all other great legends. And now among them, “the football poet from Ďolíček, Vršovice, had a hard time searching for words.
David Pastrňák with a crown for the winner of the Athlete of the Year 2020 poll.
BPA
The novelty of this year was the awarding of a trophy for “Devotion to Sport” under the auspices of the National Sports Agency. The award is accepted annually by a recognized sports authority with high moral credit, which motivates and inspires young athletes with a lifelong approach to sport.
Historically, the first holder was ninety-five-year-old Zdeněk Růžička, who represented three times at the Olympic Games as a gymnast, in 1948 he won bronze medals for groups in circles and freestyle. From 1957 he worked as a coach for thirty years, training hundreds of gymnasts. After 1989, he helped restore Sokol’s activities and served as the mayor of TJ Sokol Brno 1.
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