Czech Para Hockey Team Achieves Historic Bronze Medal at World Championships in Moose Jaw, Canada

Czech para hockey players won their first medal at the World Championships in Moose Jaw, Canada, beating China 3:2 in the battle for the historic bronze medal! Michal Geier scored two goals and captain Radek Zelinka broke the drama 74 seconds before the end.

The Czechs lost the semi-final with Canada (0:5) due to a bad start and did not start as well as they had imagined against China either. As early as 1:27 Chue Yu Tchao picked up speed and beat Kudela with a shot from outside the circle, who was also defending the goal area in the sixth game of the tournament.

The more active Chinese soon hit the bar and had several more chances, but did not increase their lead. And so in the 12th minute came the penalty. Kubeš perfectly timed the play and moved the puck to Michal Geier, who made his way from the immediate vicinity of the Chinese cage.

The same player struck a second time at the start of the second fifteen-minute period. This time, Hečko took advantage of the opponent’s hesitation, sent the disc to a free partner with a seventy-four on his back, and he aimed a forehand shot from the first precisely and elusively to the far post.

The Czech fighters suddenly had the upper hand, but they did not carry the lead into the third act. Just 12 seconds before the second departure to the cabins, Shen Yi Feng confirmed his qualities, the best Chinese para hockey player picked up speed, whizzed through the Czech defense and headed under the cover.

In the third period, both teams played two overtimes. And when it seemed that the battle for bronze would go into overtime, Radek Zelinka took advantage of the last one in 43:46. The Czech captain took it upon himself and caught the Chinese goalkeeper Ji Yen Chao brilliantly from behind the circle.

In the end, coach Jakub Novotný’s men didn’t let the opponent do anything and created great euphoria on the bench and on the ice. After fourth places in 2012, 2015 and 2019, the Czech para hockey is celebrating a historic bronze medal – fully deserved for all the work and effort!

Result of the match for 3rd place:

CZECH REPUBLIC – CHINA 3:2 (1:1, 1:1, 1:0)

Goals and saves: 12. Geier (Kubeš), 18. Geier (Hečko), 44. Zelinka – 2. Cchuej, 30. Shen (Wang Ch’ Tung, Ji).
Referee: Esposito-Lewis (both USA), Hermansen Oswold (Norway).
Exclusion: 2:3.
Use: 2:0.
Shots on goal: 10:15.
The best players: Michal Geier – Chu Chan Fu.
Czechia: Kudela – Kubeš, Doležal, Zelinka, Wágner – Hečko, Geier, Sedláček, Novotný, Ohar, Veselý, Hábl, Žižlavský, Vrubel. Coach: Jakub Novotny.
China: Ji – Chu, Chu, Lyu, Su, Che – Wang Ch’ Tung, Chuei, Chiou, Shen, Chang, Tien, Wang Yu Jiang, Li. Coach: Jin Ti-wu.

Result of the match for 5th place:

SOUTH KOREA – ITALY 2:1 after raids (0:0, 1:1, 0:0 – 0:0)
Goals and saves: 29. Cho (Jung, DS Jang), decisive raid by DS Jang – 26. Kafmann (Macri, Larch).

Finals:

03:00 USA – Canada

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