Olympic medalist Svojanovský died tragically. He fell off the stage while presenting the award – 2024-04-02 01:25:02
2024-04-02 01:25:02
Former successful rower Pavel Svojanovský died at the age of 80. Together with his younger brother Oldřich, he won silver and bronze at the Olympic Games and the title of European champion in the pair with a coxswain. The Czech Olympic Committee announced his death on its website.
According to the website of the daily Blesk, Svojanovský succumbed to injuries sustained when he fell on his head during the awards ceremony at the Jarmila Kratochvílova Run.
“I am really very sorry. Pavel was one of the engines of the Czech Olympian Club with his brother Olda. It is a great loss for rowing and the entire Czech sport,” said the chairman of the Czech Olympic Committee, Jiří Kejval, also a former rowing representative.
According to Blesk, Svojanovský died on Sunday during athletics competitions in Golčov Jeníkov. He fell off the makeshift stage. “It was a trailer with podiums on it. He fell straight on his head. He was bleeding. Unfortunately, the paramedics left immediately after the race, so we had to wait about five minutes for an ambulance,” one of the runners told the newspaper.
The Svojanovský brothers with coxswain Vladimír Petříček achieved their first major medal success in 1969 at the European Championship in Klagenfurt, where they won ahead of the Olympic champions from Mexico, Italians Primo Baran and Angelo Rossetto.
Two years later, they finished second at the continental championship behind the East German pair of Wolfgang Gunkel and Jörg Lucke, which also relegated them to second place in the Olympic race at the 1972 Munich Games. Four years later, Svojanovský and coxswain Ludvík Vébre were third at the Olympics in Montreal. They also won bronze at the World Championships in Lucerne in 1974.
Oldřich Svojanovský has been the chairman of the Czech Club of Olympians for twenty years, in which his brother was also involved.
