Czech Youth Olympics team has its first medal - Romani community can be proud of the record-setting performance too

The first medal for the Czech team at the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games was won during the very first day of competition by weightlifter František Polák, who came in third in the Men's 56 kg category. On his way to the bronze medal he broke three Czech junior records.
According to the website of the Czech Olympic team, Polák lifted 233 kg in two different events, breaking by 2 kg the existing record he created two months ago when he won the silver medal at the European Youth Weightlifting Championship. The new Czech records in this category are now 104 kg in snatch and 129 kg in clean and jerk.
"I went there mainly to compete, I did not have big expectations. I am overjoyed to have won a medal, my trainer and I went for the bronze with certainty," the website of the Czech Olympic Committee quotes Polák as saying.
The 17-year-old was bested by Vietnamese weightlifter Ngo Son Dinh, who won gold with 262 kg, and the Thai weightlifter Natthawat Chomchuen, who took silver with 239 kg. "This is an unreal success for Czech weightlifting," said Emil Brzóska, Polák's trainer.
"Our aim is clear now. His first World Championship awaits him [in November] in the Men's category, and he must begin competition now in order to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. That's the dream for both of us," Brzóska said.
According to the head of Czech weightlifting, Petr Krol, Polák is an exceptional talent. "If he keeps it up, I believe he will successfully follow in the footsteps of Jiří Orság," Krol said, comparing the youth to the most successful Czech weightlifter of recent years.
Don't miss:
- Czech Police apprehend youth who desecrated Romani genocide memorial with pig's head
- Czech survey finds youth are more prejudiced against minorities than their elders
- European Commission: Number of Roma youth not in school and unemployed in the Czech Republic is rising
- Czech village that won Council of Europe's Roma integration award removing benches used by Romani youth
- Czech Olympic athlete: Neo-Nazi opinions are being made dangerously palatable today
- Refugees to have their own team at Rio under the Olympic flag
- Greeks remove triple jumper from Olympic team for racism
- Czech Olympic Committee and Czech Weightlifting Union condemn Ota Zaremba’s racist remarks
Related articles:
- Czech town provides no aid as Romani families are made homeless during COVID-19 pandemic
- Romani kickboxer from Czech Republic keeps winning with "Gitano" on his back and the Romani flag on his shorts
- Romani kickboxer becomes Czech champion in classical boxing as well, will the big promoters notice?
- More than one Romani kickboxer from Czech Republic wins events in the WAKO K-1 WORLD GRAND PRIX 2020
- Miss Czech Republic, who is Romani, wins title of "Miss Elegance" and is now in the top 15 of the Miss Globe 2020 beauty competition
- Romani girl runner in Slovakia scores another regional victory
- Slovakia: Romani girl who ran her first race in flats now national silver medalist
- Czech-Slovak co-production of TV singing contest to feature Romani celebrity on the jury
- Czech court again acquits youths accused of assaulting man because of his skin color, prosecutor may appeal
- Romani community member becomes Miss Czech Republic
- Czech kickboxer of Romani origin wins gold in Sarajevo
- Czech MPs pass over ultra-right party's candidate for Czech News Agency board in favor of Pirates' pick
Tags:
Olympics, Sport, Talent, aktuální děníHEADLINE NEWS
