Torun, Poland – Lurdes Gloria Manuel and Tomáš Horák delivered standout performances for the Czech Republic at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, both securing their places in their respective 400-meter finals. Manuel, continuing a remarkable run of form, qualified with a personal best, while the 18-year-classic Horák impressed in his debut on the senior international stage.
Manuel’s journey to the final began with a dominant showing in the heats, where she clocked a time of 51.08 seconds, coming within five hundredths of a second of her season’s best. The 20-year-old then elevated her performance in the semifinals, winning her heat in a latest personal record of 50.96 seconds. This marks the first time a Czech woman has reached the final of the 400 meters at the World Indoor Championships since Denisa Rosolová’s appearance in Istanbul in 2012, where she finished sixth.
“I’m happy. It just went well today. I felt really great and I’m glad it worked out. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, I’m really looking forward to it,” Manuel told Czech Television, visibly elated with her performance. Breaking the 51-second barrier for the first time in her career, she added, “It’s crazy. I’m glad it turned out this way at the end of the season.”
Manuel will compete in the second final on Saturday at 20:48 local time (19:48 UTC), lining up against a strong field that includes Norway’s Henriette Jæger, who posted the fastest semifinal time. The first final will feature Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands, the reigning European indoor champion, and Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka.
The men’s 400-meter final will also feature a Czech representative in Tomáš Horák. The young sprinter, who set indoor European U20 records in both the 200m and 400m earlier in 2026, navigated the rounds with composure. In the heats, Horák finished first with a time of 45.89 seconds, impressively overtaking Attila Molnár of Hungary – the fastest European in history – in the final stretch.
The semifinal presented a tougher challenge, with a collision on the backstretch impacting Horák’s rhythm. Molnár gained the upper hand, securing direct qualification for the final. Horák finished eighth in the semifinal with a time of 46.03, qualifying for the final as the last remaining athlete. He will need to recover quickly for Saturday’s final.
“It wasn’t tactically well-executed. I should have kicked it a little faster to get ahead of him and avoid that collision,” Horák admitted, reflecting on the semifinal. Despite the setback, the young athlete’s qualification for the final is a significant achievement, demonstrating his potential on the world stage.
Horák’s impressive performance builds on a successful 2025, where he secured a gold medal in the 400 meters at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje, clocking a time of 46.60 seconds. He also contributed to a gold medal-winning 4×400 meter relay team at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, setting a Czech national U20 record of 3:05.79 alongside Michal Rada, Ondřej Loupal, and Lukáš Mareš. Earlier in 2026, he set a new indoor European under-20 record for the 400 meters, winning the Czech Indoor U20 Championships in 45.64 seconds.
While the spotlight shone brightly on Manuel and Horák, the Czech team experienced mixed fortunes on the opening day of the championships. Lada Vondrová narrowly missed out on qualifying for the semifinals in the women’s 400 meters, finishing behind Blanca Hervas of Spain (52.15) and Zoe Sherar of Canada by fractions of a second. Kimberley Ficenec, competing in the 800 meters, finished last in her heat with a time of 2:05.40, well below her season’s best.
The World Indoor Championships continue in Torun, with Manuel and Horák leading the Czech charge in their respective finals. Fans can follow the action and discover official updates on the World Athletics website. The championships represent a crucial stepping stone for these athletes as they look ahead to the outdoor season and potential appearances at major championships later in the year.
Next up for Manuel and Horák is the 400m final on Saturday, March 21st at 20:48 local time (19:48 UTC). Stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of the World Indoor Athletics Championships.
