Tampere, August 15, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Czech Athletics Federation has hailed its current crop of junior athletes as “the most promising generation yet” following a record-breaking performance at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere.
Czech athletes secured an unprecedented nine medals at the tournament, placing them among the top five nations in Europe, behind only Italy, Great Britain, Spain, and Germany. The achievement marks a significant turnaround after years without major junior success and is seen as a positive indicator for the future of Czech athletics.
Pavel Sluka, head coach of the Czech senior athletics national team, expressed optimism about the transition of this talented group into senior ranks. “I don’t want to say that I expected this kind of result, but I know this generation is incredibly strong. I’m very happy, and I’m watching closely to see who will make the jump to the senior national team. I think quite a few, especially the medallists, will definitely appear in the future,” Sluka said.
Among the standout performers was Michal Rada, who captured gold in the 400m hurdles with the fastest under-20 time in the world this season, breaking the European Junior Championship record. Rada also anchored the 4x400m relay team to gold, setting a new Czech U20 national record in the process.
The historic medal tally in Tampere has reinforced hopes that Czech athletics is entering a new era of international competitiveness.
