Jakub Vadlejch Named Czech Athlete of the Year for 2023
In a recent poll conducted by 141 officials, coaches, and journalists, Jakub Vadlejch has been named the Czech Athlete of the Year for 2023. With a total of 1405 points, Vadlejch, a javelin thrower, has solidified his position as one of the world’s best athletes in his discipline.
Despite not winning the gold medal, Vadlejch expressed satisfaction with his performance in the past athletic year. “I would describe the 2023 season as almost perfect. I managed to win the Diamond League overall, had the best world performance, and received a bronze medal at the World Championships. It was a small blemish, but otherwise, it would have been a perfect year,” Vadlejch told reporters.
At 33 years old, Vadlejch continues to dominate Czech athletics. He won the Athlete of the Year poll with a lead of 372 points over silver medalist shot putter Tomáš Staněk from the European Indoor Championships. The mixed 4x400m relay team, which won bronze at the World Championships and triumphed at the European Games, secured the third spot in the poll.
During the award ceremony, a quartet consisting of Matěj Krsek, Tereza Petržilková, Patrik Šorm, and Lada Vondrová entertained the audience with a traditional performance. Krsek played the keyboard, Šorm played the guitar, and the female members of the team danced while everyone sang the Czech version of ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money,” inspired by their relatively young discipline.
Long jumper Radek Juška secured the fourth spot among Czech athletes, finishing fifth at the European Indoor Championships and seventh at the World Championships. He narrowly beat out bronze medalist pole vaulter Amálie Švábíková.
The sixth spot in the Athlete of the Year poll went to quarter-miler Lada Vondrová, who contributed to the success of the mixed relay team at the World Championships. With a personal record of 50.92 seconds, she not only secured an individual semifinal spot but also qualified for the Olympics in Paris. Vondrová’s relay teammates, Krsek and Petržilková, finished ninth and tenth, respectively.
The poll also recognized middle-distance runner Tereza Ďurdiaková, who finished tenth in the 35-kilometer race at the World Championships, and hurdler Nikoleta Jíchová, who came close to joining the athletic elite. Jíchová became the third Czech woman to break the 55-second barrier and finished 17th at the World Championships.
Vadlejch’s coach, Jan Železný, was once again named Coach of the Year. He surpassed David Sekerák, whose Japanese athlete Haruka Kitagučiová won the javelin throw at the World Championships and the Diamond League.
Jakub Dudycha, a middle-distance runner, was named Junior Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. Ondřej Macík, the Czech record holder in the 200-meter dash, was recognized as the Discovery of the Year.
The complete rankings for the 2023 Athlete of the Year poll are as follows: 1. Jakub Vadlejch (javelin) 1405 points, 2. Tomáš Staněk (shot put) 1033, 3. mixed 4x400m relay (Matěj Krsek, Tereza Petržilková, Patrik Šorm/Vít Müller, Lada Vondrová) 1021, 4. Radek Juška (long jump) 1009, 5. Amálie Švábíková (pole vault) 954, 6. Lada Vondrová (400m) 512, 7. Tereza Ďurdiaková (race walking) 428, 8. Nikoleta Jíchová (400m hurdles) 341, 9. Matěj Krsek 209, 10. Tereza Petržilková (both 400m).
Other rankings include: 11. Ondřej Macík (200m) 194 points, 12. men’s 4x400m relay 178, 13. Nikola Ogrodníková (javelin) 162, 14. Vít Müller (400m hurdles) 39.Jakub Vadlejch named Athlete of the Year 2023
In a recent poll conducted by 141 officials, coaches, and journalists, Jakub Vadlejch has been named the Athlete of the Year 2023. With a total of 1405 points, Vadlejch, a renowned javelin thrower, has once again proven his dominance in the sport.
Despite not winning the coveted gold medal, Vadlejch expressed his satisfaction with the past athletic year. “I would describe the 2023 season as almost perfect. I managed to win the Diamond League overall, had the best world performance, and secured a bronze medal at the World Championships. It was a small blemish, but otherwise, it would have been a perfect year,” Vadlejch told reporters.
At 33 years old, Vadlejch continues to reign supreme among Czech athletes. He won the Athlete of the Year poll with a staggering 372-point lead over silver medalist shot putter Tomáš Staněk from the European Indoor Championships. The mixed 4x400m relay team, which won bronze at the World Championships and triumphed at the European Games, secured the third spot in the poll.
The quartet of Matěj Krsek, Tereza Petržilková, Patrik Šorm, and Lada Vondrová provided a traditional performance during the award ceremony. Krsek played the keyboard, Šorm played the guitar, and the female members of the team danced while everyone sang the Czech version of ABBA’s hit song “Money, Money, Money,” inspired by the relatively young discipline.
Long jumper Radek Juška secured the fourth position among Czech athletes, finishing fifth at the European Indoor Championships and seventh at the World Championships. He narrowly beat out bronze medalist pole vaulter Amálie Švábíková.
Lada Vondrová, a quarter-miler, claimed the sixth spot in the poll. She helped the mixed relay team succeed at the World Championships and secured an individual semifinal spot and a place at the Paris Olympics with a personal record of 50.92 seconds. Her teammates from the mixed relay, Krsek and Petržilková, finished ninth and tenth, respectively.
Among Czech athletes, the mixed 4x400m relay team took the third spot in the Athlete of the Year poll. Middle-distance runner Tereza Ďurdiaková, who finished tenth in the 35-kilometer race at the World Championships, and hurdler Nikoleta Jíchová also made their mark. Jíchová became the third Czech woman to break the 55-second barrier and finished 17th at the World Championships.
Vadlejch’s coach, Jan Železný, was once again named Coach of the Year. He surpassed David Sekerák, whose Japanese athlete Haruka Kitagučiová won the javelin throw at the World Championships and the Diamond League.
Jakub Dudycha, a middle-distance runner, was named Junior Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. Ondřej Macík, the Czech record holder in the 200-meter dash, was named the Discovery of the Year.
The complete rankings for the Athlete of the Year 2023 poll are as follows: 1. Jakub Vadlejch (javelin) 1405 points, 2. Tomáš Staněk (shot put) 1033, 3. mixed 4x400m relay (Matěj Krsek, Tereza Petržilková, Patrik Šorm/Vít Müller, Lada Vondrová) 1021, 4. Radek Juška (long jump) 1009, 5. Amálie Švábíková (pole vault) 954, 6. Lada Vondrová (400m) 512, 7. Tereza Ďurdiaková (race walking) 428, 8. Nikoleta Jíchová (400m hurdles) 341, 9. Matěj Krsek 209, 10. Tereza Petržilková (both 400m).
Other rankings include: 11. Ondřej Macík (200m) 194 points, 12. men’s 4x400m relay 178, 13. Nikola Ogrodníková (javelin) 162, 14. Vít Müller (400m hurdles) 39, 15. Filip Šnejdr (800m) 27, 16. Jakub Dudycha (800m) 20, 17. Eliška Martínková (20km race walking) and Patrik Šorm (400m) tied at 4, 19. Karolína Jarošová (2000/3000m steeplechase) 3, 20. Tereza Hrochová (races), Lurdes Gloria Manuel (400m), Jan Svozil (discus), and women’s 4x400m relay tied at 2, 24. Petr Meindlschmid (long jump), Ondřej Kopecký (decathlon) tied at 1.
In addition to Dudycha being named Junior Athlete of the Year, Macík was named the Discovery of the Year, and Jan Železný was named Coach of the Year once again.
Who finished tenth in the 35-kilometer race at the World Championships?
Ho finished tenth in the 35-kilometer race at the World Championships, and hurdler Nikoleta Jíchová, who came close to joining the athletic elite by breaking the 55-second barrier and finishing 17th at the World Championships, were also recognized in the poll.
Vadlejch’s coach, Jan Železný, was once again named Coach of the Year, surpassing David Sekerák, whose Japanese athlete Haruka Kitagučiová won the javelin throw at the World Championships and the Diamond League.
In other categories, Jakub Dudycha was named Junior Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Ondřej Macík, the Czech record holder in the 200-meter dash, was recognized as the Discovery of the Year.
The complete rankings for the 2023 Athlete of the Year poll are as follows:
1. Jakub Vadlejch (javelin) – 1405 points
2. Tomáš Staněk (shot put) – 1033 points
3. Mixed 4x400m relay (Matěj Krsek, Tereza Petržilková, Patrik Šorm/Vít Müller, Lada Vondrová) – 1021 points
4. Radek Juška (long jump) – 1009 points
5. Amálie Š
What an incredible achievement! Jakub Vadlejch’s talent and hard work have truly paid off. Congratulations on being named Atlet roku 2023 in Czech athletics! You deserve every bit of this recognition.