Tomáš Mikyska (CZE) won the pursuit at the Czech summer biathlon championships in Letohrad on Sunday. Having already won the sprint, he is now a double national champion on rollerskis. Tereza Voborníková (CZE) won the women's pursuit. Sprint winner Lucie Charvátová (CZE) did not start. According to ČT sport, the championships closed the main part of summer preparation for the Czech national team athletes.
Voborníková wins as Charvátová sits out
Charvátová was due to start the pursuit first. The Czech Biathlon Union said she was not feeling quite well and had a slight cold. After consulting her coaches, she did not start. Voborníková shot 0+0+1+1 and finished 40 seconds ahead of Jessica Jislová (CZE), who hit every target.
Ema Kapustová (0+1+2+0) placed third in the overall Central European Cup classification. The national bronze medal went to Tereza Vinklárková (CZE, 3+1+0+1). Heda Mikolášová (CZE, 0+1+1+2) was fifth overall and won the junior women's race ahead of Ilona Plecháčová and Valerie Křížová.
ČT sport reported that Voborníková took silver in the sprint and missed three of 30 targets across the two races, one in the sprint and two in the pursuit. The broadcaster said a new stock on her small-bore rifle had helped. She also won the academic championship. Voborníková has just graduated from VŠTVS Palestra. Kateřina Pavlů and Jolana Závacká, both students at the Technical University of Liberec, took silver and bronze.
"To be honest, I'm running on empty. Four weeks at the training camp took it out of me. I'm looking forward to a well-earned break," Voborníková said. She said she was only a little sorry that she could not race Charvátová for the title: "Yesterday she teased me a bit that I'd have to try harder to beat her. I told her: wait until tomorrow. Unfortunately, our duel never happened."
ČT sport also said Voborníková won the exhibition race in Dresden this summer. The broadcaster called her an Olympic medallist and noted her Olympic and World Cup bronze medals.
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Mikyska and Vítězslav Hornig (CZE) were both on 0+1+0 after three stages. Mikyska cleaned the final standing stage, while Hornig had to ski a penalty loop, and that settled the race. Jonáš Mareček (CZE, 0+1+1+0) finished third, which gave the same podium as the sprint.
"Knowing the course makes quite a difference here. I know where I can push and where I should ease off," Mikyska said. He added that resurfacing the worst section with new asphalt had helped. He was also very happy with his shooting: "It didn't go well for me at the camp in France, but I've been shooting really well for the last two weeks."
Michal Krčmář (CZE) shot poorly and missed the podium again. Petr Hák (CZE, 2+0+0+1), a student at ČVUT in Prague, moved up to fifth and won the academic title ahead of Jan Gregor and Daniel Malušek. In the junior men's race, Michael Málek Jr. (0+2+0+1) took his first junior win. Sprint winner Jakub Bouška lost time after going the wrong way on the course and finished second, ahead of Přemysl Doleček.
Looking ahead to the World Cup
Mikyska told ČT sport he hopes things will go well again and that he will race in the World Cup right from the start.
