Czech athletes won eight medals at the Paralympics

The Czech delegation won eight medals at the Paralympic Games which wrapped up on Sunday. Three athletes with ties to Charles University also participated in Paris. The biggest star of the Czech team was David Kratochvíl, who won three medals. The visually impaired swimmer took home gold, silver, and bronze, and carried the Czech flag at the closing ceremony. In addition to his success, the Czechs secured three silver and two bronze medals.

Patrik Jahoda, a student of the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University, came very close to winning a medal. A passionate athlete, he took up handbiking after a diving accident. At the Paralympics three years ago in Tokyo, he finished fourth in the time trial and repeated the same result this year—his time was just under two seconds behind the bronze medallist, du Preez from South Africa.

František Serbus competed in his fourth Paralympic Games. In Beijing 2008, he placed sixth in shot put and seventh in discus. In London 2012, he improved to fifth place in discus. He also tried boccia and club throwing. At the last Paralympics in Tokyo, he finished seventh in club throwing, and this year he improved to sixth place overall. Serbus works as a graphic designer at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University.

Anastasja Vištalová was born with cerebral palsy and graduated from the Faculty of Law at Charles University three years ago. She started hippotherapy at the age of three and fully dedicated herself to equestrian sports at thirteen. She competed in para-dressage at the Rio 2016 Games, finishing in 16th place. At the last Games in Tokyo, she improved to 13th place, and in Paris, riding her mare First Love, she finished in 14th place.

The Czech Republic was represented by thirteen women and nineteen men at the Paralympic Games in Paris. In total, 4,400 athletes competed for medals across 549 events in 22 different sports. Athletes with disabilities competed in well-known sports (such as athletics, canoeing, cycling, judo, swimming, and archery) as well as unique sports like boccia and goalball.