Compe Ti Tion
DoUBLe CZeCH StrengtH:
Antosova and Varekova
©2007 Getty Images / Vladimir Rys
10
for the last couple of decades Czech
rowing has been dominated by one
name, the single sculler Vaclav Chalupa.
Recently, however, a new bunch of
scullers have been taking the limelight
and winning the medals. ondrej synek
is at the top of the field in the men’s
single and mirka Knapkova is doing just
as well in the women’s single.
But an even, younger force has recently
captured the attention of the youth rowing
scene, in both the world junior and then
the world under 23 women’s double races.
In 2007 the 20-year-olds booked a berth at
the Beijing Olympics: they are Jitka Antosova
and Gabriela Varekova.
score back to back wins. Their exceptional
talent did not go unnoticed by the Czech
rowing establishment with national coaches
already racing them at the senior level as
the country’s top double while Antosova
and Varekova, both 16 at the time, were still
juniors.
Gabriela Varekova (b) and
Jitka Antosova (s) of the Czech
Republic concentrate for the
start of the women’s double
sculls heat at the 2007 World
Rowing Championships in
Munich, Germany.
Antosova and Varekova first came together
in the women’s double in 2003 and a year
later they were juniorWorldChampions.
The duo repeated this performance the
following year before moving on to the
World Rowing Under 23 Championships to
In 2007 Antosova and Varekova truly came of
age. On top of under 23 gold the duo won the
European title at the first European Rowing
Championships held in over thirty years and
secured Olympic qualification by finishing
fifth at the World Rowing Championships. >>
