400m hurdler Zuzana Hejnová filled the throne left vacant by Barbora Å potáková, to claim the 2013 Czech Athlete of the Year award at the Ambassador Hotel in Prague.
Hejnova’s trainer Dalibor Kupka won the Czech Coach of the Year award. This year’s best junior and biggest breakthrough is walker Ane…¾ka Drahotová.
As in previous years the Czech Athletics Gala was broadcast live on national television.
It is a tradition for the Czech Athletics Federation to organise a poll to designate the Athlete of the Year.
The 156 voters were comprised of officials, coaches and members of the media.
Hejnova managed to edge out Vitezslav Vesely, this year’s javelin world champion in Moscow.
Javelin thrower Å potáková had won the title for six consecutive years, but this year she was out of the running, having given birth to a son Janek in May.
Hejnová went unbeaten in the Diamond League and set a new national record 52.83.
This is the first time she has been named Czech Athlete of the Year, after winning the 2013 female European Athlete of the Year award a month ago.
Second place is still a great result for Veselý, who followed up last year’s European Athletics Championships title by winning gold at the IAAF World Championships, as well as defending his Diamond League trophy.
Lukáš Melich took third in the vote; he was rewarded for his bronze medal in the hammer throw in Moscow, his first medal in a major championship.
Dalibor Kupka had previously won Czech Coach of the Year back in 2002, 2003 and 2005 while coaching decathlon star Roman Å ebrle.
He’s now rewarded for the fourth time, guiding Hejnová and Pavel Maslak to greatness.
Maslak followed up his 400m gold at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki by winning the same event at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg in March.
Aneska Drahotova was another Czech sensation this year, claiming gold in the 10km walk at the European Athletics Junior championships in Rieti.
She surprised most during the 20km walk at the World Championships in Moscow, leading the race for several kilometres before finally finishing in 7th place with a new personal best of 1:29.05.
Results of the 2013 Czech Athlete of the Year awards:
Athlete of the year (Top 5):
1. Zuzana Hejnová
2. Vít„›zslav Veselý
3. Lukáš Melich
4. Pavel Maslák
5. Ladislav Prášil
Coach (top 3):
1. Dalibor Kupka (Hejnová, Maslák)
2. Jan …½elezný (Veselý)
3. Petr Stehlík (Prášil)
Junior (top 3):
1. Ane…¾ka Drahotová
2. Jan Dole…¾al
3. Male mountain running team
(Havlíček, Kubec, T. Lichý, Sádlo)
Breakthrough (top 3):
1. Ane…¾ka Drahotová
2. Ladislav Prášil
3. Lukáš Melich