Czech Record Holder Finishes Seventh in Birmingham and Responds to Critics

At the championships in Birmingham, the 34-year-old Czech record holder claimed seventh place in the final, delivering a powerful finishing burst that saw her overtake several rivals one after another. Going into the competition, she had only qualified 18th out of 34 entrants and admitted she hadn't expected such a result.

By her own admission, she even shed a tear of emotion after the qualifying heat, though she appeared before journalists with a light smile. "I've finished higher before, but I'm happy with this result. I didn't even feel tired after the race — over the years I've learned how to recover, because running two days in a row is tough, but I managed it," she said.

The Finish Could Have Been Better

The athlete admitted the result could have been even stronger: "I actually enjoyed the heat even more. But you have to be grateful for every good finish in a final. Of course, as athletes, we always want more." She said that during the last lap of the final she once again got caught up in some jostling within the tightly packed group of runners, which left her slightly frustrated.

She called her 79-year-old coach, Pavel Tunka — the doyen of Czech coaches — right after the race, though it took a while to get through. "He was busy calling all his friends who are still alive," she joked. "But I think he was happy. He thanked me and said that in the final I should try to stay even closer to the leaders."

After a Difficult Previous Year

Last season was extremely tough for the champion — she even had thoughts of ending her career. "That year was bad. I thought: if this is the end, it's terrible," she admitted. Now, she says, things are much better, and her drive to keep working doesn't depend on whether things go well or not — she simply enjoys the process itself.

The athlete noted she was especially pleased with the result because the entire Czech team has performed more weakly this season compared to previous years, making reaching the final an achievement in itself. She said some comments from spectators bother her, as she feels they don't understand the work athletes put in: "There have been times I arrived at a race fully prepared, everything looked great, and then I didn't deliver the result. The public only sees the outcome, not everything that came before it."

A Response to Online Critics

Asked whether this result might signal a move to longer distances, she gave an evasive answer, noting only that the result would remain in the rankings for the event she currently competes in. She also responded to online comments claiming she had "passed her peak" years ago: "I don't consider myself the slowest out there, and I try not to give in to outside pressure suggesting I'm no longer what I used to be. I still love doing this," she said.

Unlike many athletes who avoid reading discussions about themselves, she admits she sometimes looks in search of constructive criticism — though she rarely finds any. Jokingly, she suggested her critics join the team for a month-long training camp: complete it in full without once saying they can't go on — and then she'd gladly hear their opinion.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz