Anterselva, Italy – All eyes will be on Markéta Davidová as teh czech Republic prepares for Saturday’s biathlon mixed relay. The team’s anchor leg is a question mark due to a nearly month-long battle with disc issues that forced her to miss the World Cup event in Nové Město na Moravě, though team officials are optimistic after a positive training session Friday [[1]].
Czech Republic will field a strong lineup for the upcoming mixed relay, with Markéta Davidová expected to compete despite recent struggles with disc issues that sidelined her for nearly a month, causing her to miss the home World Cup event in Nové Město na Moravě.
“I think Friday’s quick training session decided it, when we waited to see how her body would react. Today was just fine-tuning the shooting,” said national team sports director Ondřej Rybář. “Markéta has been here since January 29th, we discussed it yesterday and today. She wants to race, she will receive support from the team, and she will race the relay.”
“Anything can still change during the day. I won’t believe I’ll be racing until I wake up feeling somewhat normal,” Davidová cautioned on Saturday.
The mixed relay, set to take place in Anterselva, Italy – located 1,600 meters above sea level near the Austrian border – will feature a reversed order compared to the recent event in Nové Město na Moravě and last year’s World Championships. Men will lead off, followed by the women.
Vítězslav Hornig will start the relay for the Czech team, handing off to Michal Krčmář. Tereza Voborníková will take the third leg, with Davidová anchoring the team.
“I’ve never finished before (in Östersund at the start of the season, where she brought the mixed relay to fifth place and the women’s to third – ed.’s note), I was afraid of it at first, but then I actually enjoyed it,” Davidová noted.
France, winners of the season-opening race in Östersund, and the host nation Italy, who dominated in Nové Město na Moravě, are considered the favorites for gold.
Norway will be looking to defend their title from the previous Olympics in Beijing. Four years ago, the Czech quartet of Jessica Jislová, Markéta Davidová, Mikuláš Karlík, and Michal Krčmář finished twelfth.
Anterselva, Italy – The Czech Republic biathlon team is preparing to compete in the mixed relay on Saturday, with a key question mark surrounding the participation of Markéta Davidová. Despite battling ongoing issues with her discs that kept her out of competition for nearly a month, including the World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě, Davidová is expected to race.
National team sports director Ondřej Rybář confirmed that a strong training session on Friday indicated Davidová’s body was responding positively. “I think Friday’s quick training session decided it, when we waited to see how her body would react. Today was just fine-tuning the shooting,” Rybář stated. “Markéta has been here since January 29th, we discussed it yesterday and today. She wants to race, she will receive support from the team, and she will race the relay.”
However, Davidová herself remains cautious. “Anything can still change during the day. I won’t believe I’ll be racing until I wake up feeling somewhat normal,” she told reporters.
The mixed relay will be run in a reversed order compared to previous competitions, with the men starting and the women finishing. Vítězslav Hornig will lead off for the Czech team, followed by Michal Krčmář, Tereza Voborníková, and, if cleared to compete, Davidová will anchor the squad.
Davidová expressed some initial apprehension about finishing the relay, but added, “I’ve never finished before (in Östersund at the start of the season, where she brought the mixed relay to fifth place and the women’s to third), I was afraid of it at first, but then I actually enjoyed it.”
The Czech team will face stiff competition from France, who won the opening race of the season in Östersund, and the home favorites, Italy, who dominated the event in Nové Město na Moravě. Norway will also be looking to defend their Olympic title from Beijing, where the Czech team finished twelfth with a lineup including Jislová, Davidová, Karlík, and Krčmář.
