Medal from Tokyo 2020 judoka Lukáš Krpálek will no longer defend himself. After losing the match against the Japanese Tacuru Saito, the judoka appeared disappointed in front of the press. “I paid for the fact that I fell asleep and then just made it up. He is a judoka who weighs 170 kilos, so his technique is really great and his movements are beautiful. I have to say that I felt really good. I’m not the only one who lost like that, but I wanted to give it everything,” he evaluated his performance and concentration on the match against Krpálek.
The Japanese Saitó entered the match at 172 kilos. “For competitors like Saitó, you have to carry a lot more weight than you have to stop him and eliminate him. If I had weighed around 130 or 140 kilos, the result could have been different, but I already said that the Olympics is the pinnacle and this must be managed,” said the judoka.
People told me I had nothing to prove to anyone
Krápelek is not on Olympic Games no rookie. He had his premiere under the Olympic rings in London, where he finished seventh. “I was very sad about London, but there I knew I could beat him. Of course I made a mistake there and lost. It was a little different now, so it was going to hurt for a really long time. A lot of people told me that I had nothing to prove to anyone. But I wanted to win that medal. I was really well prepared,” assessed Krpálek.
He has not yet considered what will happen after the Olympics. “I really don’t know what will happen now. I’ve been working towards this day and I want to rest. I’ll go to Vysočina to visit my family and we’ll see what happens next,” added Krpálek in a sad voice.
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The preparation of the judoka was taken care of by his coach Petr Lacina, who evaluated Krpálek’s initial performance positively. “Lukáš worked well in the fight for grip, we wanted him to overpower him like this. But then he stopped, stuck out his right leg and that was a mistake. The right foot forward meant the Japanese got into the grip and was extra fast. That’s just judo,” said coach Lacina.
He has not yet considered what Krpálk’s career will look like after the Olympics. “It’s too early to think about it. Now he will have a well-deserved vacation and we will see how long the vacation will be and if it will not be forever. But Krpoš is capable of anything, so it’s hard to say what will happen. We also have to take into account that he is of service age. If something stops him, it won’t be his head, but his body,” added Krpálk’s coach.
Crappie? He’s your national hero, isn’t he?
Judista Krpálek was supported by fans from all over the world. In France itself, it is a hugely popular and widespread sport, which is among the most popular in the country, which was confirmed by the full Champ de Mars Arena, which was literally clapping under the roaring fans. And even the locals here knew Krpálek well. “He is an excellent judoka, we like him and wish him success. It occurred to us that he has not been in very good form in the last period, but hopefully he will do well today,” discussed the situation before the start of the Olympic race, members of the French club Tremblay. But Teddy Riner, who also lit the Olympic flame, is the home favorite.
But the Czech wrestler is also known in Azerbaijan. “Czech Republic? Lukáš Krpálek is from you! He is your national hero, isn’t he?” asked an Azerbaijani fan, who is also a former judoka, in the restaurant. “I know Krpálek, he’s a fighter and I’ve seen him live several times. He is fast and handles everything technically beautifully, so hopefully he will be able to do it in Paris,” the Azerbaijani hoped before the match with a smile.
Kateřina Součková, reporter for Deník v Paris
Deník is also represented at the Olympics by Kateřina Součková, who is a reporter for Deník in the Moravian-Silesian Region. Look forward to lots of interviews, videos and great reports.
Thanks to her observations, you will immediately find out what is being discussed among the athletes under the Eiffel Tower, in the Czech House, but also in the stands with Czech fans.
Follow the exclusive coverage of Deník from Olympic Paris!
Lukáš Kaboň, photojournalist for Deník v Paris
Experience the Olympics through the eyes of photojournalist Lukáš Kabona, who will represent Deník directly from the center of the action in Paris! Lukáš has been working as a photographer in the Ostrava editorial office of Deník for more than twelve years. He recently returned from the soccer Euros held in Germany. Now, through his photographs, he will transport readers to the world of Czech athletes, their achievements and emotions at the Olympic Games. Look forward to unique reports not only from the sports grounds, but also from the Český dom and the stands. Don’t miss Denik’s exclusive coverage of Olympic Paris!
