Slovakia will send 19 athletes to the European Championship in Munich, Volko is an iron in the fire
today 15:19
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The Slovak Athletic Association (SAZ) nominated a total of 19 athletes for the Munich European tournament in Germany.
As reported by the website atletika.sk, the selection includes walkers Hana Burzalová, Ema Hačundová, Miroslav Úradník, Michal Morvay and Dominik Černý, hammer thrower Veronika Kaňuchová, and the rest are runners. Among the women, Emma Zapletalová and Daniela Ledecká made it to the team in the 400 m hurdles, Viktória Forsterová in the 100 m hurdles and 100 m hurdles. Among the men, Ján Volko should start at 100 and 200 m, at 400 m pr. Martin Kučera and Matej Baluch, in the four hundred Šimon Bujna.
In addition, the men’s 4×400 m relay will also run in Munich, the nominations include Oliver Murcko, Miroslav Marček, Patrik Dömötör, Franklin Henry, Roman Haraslín and Adrián Pavelka, but Baluch, Kučera and Bujna can also start, theoretically also Volko.
At the recent world championship in Eugene, USA, only five Slovaks, four pedestrians and Ledecká started. According to SAZ, it is an imperfect ranking system and injuries to other Slovak representatives. “The situation at that time was not easy. Because under normal circumstances, Emma Zapletalová was probably the unequivocal leader of the entire national team, in which we could only compete on the podium,” evaluated the national team head coach Martin Pupiš.
However, Zapletalová, a native of Nitra, had to take a break after the spring training in Portugal and recuperate her injured ankle. And on Monday, together with Ledecká, she and Ledecká are waiting for a good general in Hungary’s Székesfehervár, where the Slovenes’ opponent will also be the phenomenal world record holder Sydney McLaughlinová.
In that SR, hurdler Stanislava Škvarková and Monika Weigertová (both injured) are missing, Alexandra Bezeková did not make it due to health problems. The hammer thrower Martina Hrašnová also dropped out of the selection, Gabriela Gajanová did not meet the qualification limits. After maternity duties, the runner Mária Katerinka Czaková returns to the competition. In the men’s section, triple jumper Tomáš Veszelka and hammer thrower Marcel Lomnický are absent.
“For the men, Ján Volko and Miroslav Úradník could be the leaders, but while Volko struggled with his health during the first part of the season, Úradník was tested positive for COVID-19 last week after returning from the United States, where he finished in the premier 35 km course in Eugene as the 7th best European,” added Pupiš.
The Athletic European Championships in Munich will be part of the multi-sport event – the European Championships. Athletics is on the program in Bavaria from August 15 to 21, cycling, gymnastics, triathletes will also be presented in the south of Germany from August 11 to 21. table tennis players and continental titles will also appear in beach volleyball, for example.