Czech association member Tomáš Portyk Source: SITA/AP/Andrew Medichini
PRAGUE – Tomáš Portyk, a Czech representative in the Nordic combination, ended his sports career at the age of 27.
The junior world champion from 2016, who started at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing, decided to do so for health reasons, the ski association reported on the website. In the last two years, Portyk’s body did not allow him to return to his earlier level.
Portyk started this season in November in Ruka, Finland, but after finishing 50th in the jumping section, he did not participate in the ten-kilometer cross-country ski run. Now the native of Jilemnica has decided to end the Nordic combination.
“Unfortunately, I felt that the body could not function in the way that I would have imagined. In the last two years, I could not get to the level before.” said Portyk, who since joining the World Cup in 2013 has claimed a top ten finish in individual races five times. In January 2017, he was second in the doubles sprint in Val di Fiemme alongside Miroslav Dvořák.
I struggled more and more with each race
Before the 2021/2022 Olympic season, Portyk had health problems in the summer, he struggled with exhaustion for three months and could not train. After that, he didn’t do well, in the past year of the SP, he only got into the top 30 twice.
“Of course I wanted to keep trying. It’s great to do what I enjoy and fulfills. But at the same time I felt a lot of dissatisfaction, with every race I was struggling more and more. During the nights I didn’t sleep and just thought about how to get back and so that the Nordic combination is fun and fulfilling for me again,” Portyk recalled the difficult period that eventually led to his retirement from top sport.
Photo gallery (2) Czech association member Tomáš Portyk Source: SITA/AP/Andrew Medichini
He will fondly remember the environment of the Nordic combination. “It’s a sport that taught me a lot. Thanks to it, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people and find friends outside of home. I’ll never forget you, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you and watch it all from behind.” said Portyk.
Tomáš Slavík, the sports director of the Nordic combination section, regrets his departure. “For the Nordic combination, of course, it is a significant loss, because he was an inspiration for many young competitors. But if a competitor suffers from health complications for a long time, then it is no longer possible to compete, despite the constant efforts of the world’s best.” he said.
- Author: © List/
- Source: CTK
2023-12-21 14:22:41
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