After three postponements, the championship will take place, but without spectators. Are you relieved?
The first postponement didn’t bother me so much, after years I agreed with my dad (former vice world champion, now coach – editor’s note) he could do physical training in peace. After the second postponement, I was a little skeptical, there were a few harder days when morale went down, I was afraid it might not turn out at all. So we are happy that the championship will be, although it is a great pity that without spectators.
You are certainly especially sorry when you announced in advance that the fourteenth European Championship will be your last.
I imagined how full it would be, this way it would be sad… I was bent a few times that I would finish, the last time in 2017. But then I was fifth in the world, so I changed my mind, and when Prague won the European Championship, it was It’s a big draw and the main reason why I continued.
Can something break you to continue? For example, a good result and an increased chance for the Olympics next year…
I am convinced that this is my last European Championship. The main reason is my health, the last six months have been quite on the edge.
Will you get nostalgia when you remember what you’ve been through with judo?
He will definitely come. I’m already thinking about it, I’m going back to my career. When I’m not feeling well, I pull the good memories out of an imaginary drawer. It will probably hit me, I’m a more sensitive type, but now it wouldn’t help me in the preparation, it wasn’t a little worry anymore.
You were one of the judokas who suffered from covid-19. How did she sign you?
I underwent it about a month and a half after returning from a training camp in Turkey. I was quarantined for ten days, but after two weeks I was positive, so it was not ideal. Then I started training according to the doctors’ recommendations very carefully, but I still had a headache at a higher intensity of training. Now, before the next training camp in Turkey, I underwent stress tests and blood tests and everything was fine, so maybe it’s good.
There will be twelve Czech judokas at the European Championships in Prague, Krpálek is not missing
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How did the measures that prevent training in the halls from complicating your preparation?
Now we are in Antalya, Turkey again, and when we flew here, we missed the ban in about two days. What’s worse was the last tournament I had in February, so I’m honestly curious about myself.
How do you compare to staying in a bubble in which you will be between the hotel and the hall, and silence during matches?
I haven’t experienced the bubble yet, it can be more difficult to lose weight when we have to be at the hotel, but I think that if I have two extra pounds, it will not be a problem to lose them in a day and a half. And I’m curious about the silence. You will hear your step, every movement of the foot on the mat and every word of the coach, we are not very used to it.
When you definitely take off your racing kimono, what will you do?
I want to go on a coaching trip, it also depends on the agreement with the Czech association, which would be possible, but I see my future there.
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