The Czech para ice hockey team fell to Canada 4-1 in their final group stage match at the Paralympic Games, setting up a semifinal clash with the defending champions from the United States. Elsewhere, Simona Bubeníčková experienced a setback in the cross-country sprint, whereas Tadeáš Kříž and Petr Drahoš competed in alpine skiing events. This competition highlights the dedication and skill of athletes with disabilities and the importance of adaptive sports for physical and mental wellbeing.
The Czech team, coached by Jakub Novotný, maintained a scoreless tie with the favored Canadian team for a significant portion of the game. The stalemate was broken when James Dunn scored for Canada in the 5th minute of the second period.
Early in the third period, the Canadian team extended their lead to 3-0 before Zdeněk Hábl scored the Czech team’s first goal of the tournament in the 34th minute. Canada sealed their victory with a goal into an empty net during a Czech power play.
Having won their group with a perfect record and a goal difference of 26-1, the Canadian team will face China in the semifinals.
Prior to this match, the Czech team had defeated Japan 3-2 and Slovakia 8-1. Reaching the semifinals at the Paralympics marks a first for the Czech team, following three bronze medals at World Championships.
Seventeen-year-old Bubeníčková had previously excelled in the endurance race, but faced challenges in the sprint event. She fell while navigating a turn during the downhill portion of the race, losing her leading position. Two competitors were able to pass her and qualify for the final.
“I was skiing well. We still had a lead on the hill. Then, I just fell… It was my mistake, and I’d rather shoot myself,” Bubeníčková said.
“It was at quite a high speed. I fell on my stomach and just kept sliding, unable to stop. David as well couldn’t stop quickly, so he drifted away from me. When I got up, I could barely hear him. So, I wasn’t skiing at full speed for a while because I wasn’t sure where I was going. Then I started to hear him a little more. After that, other girls started rushing past me, and a Chinese athlete bumped into me a bit,” she described.
German athlete Leonie Maria Walterová and Chinese athlete Cchung Ťi-chung capitalized on Bubeníčková’s misfortune, gaining speed on the downhill and securing their places in the final.
Bubeníčková will have another opportunity to compete on Wednesday in the 10km classic race with interval start. “Maybe the anger from today will drive me,” she added.
Bubeníčková finished in fifth place, one position lower than her result in the biathlon sprint in Italy. Matěj Škoda and Miroslav Motejzík did not advance from qualification in the men’s standing category.
Tadeáš Kříž finished ninth in the combined event. The Czech visually impaired skier, along with his sister Iva, placed ninth in both the super-G and slalom portions of the competition. This followed his tenth-place finish in Monday’s super-G and sixth-place finish in Saturday’s downhill.
