Adamczyková started in the elite series for the first time since last March and immediately reached the final quartet. She won the quarter-finals confidently and controlled the advancing position in the semi-finals as well, although she was defeated by the home Sophie Hedigerová in the photo finish.
In the fight for medals, she lost the leading position after an excellent start, but she remained in a balanced field of competitors. She returned to the lead in the final banked corner and defended the first position all the way to the finish line. Second place was taken by Hedigerová, third was the leading woman SP Chloé Trespeuchová from France.
“I really didn’t expect this victory. I didn’t train much, only about ten days on the track in Montafon,” said the 30-year-old native of Vrchlabí, who participated in the StarDance television dance competition in the fall.
It wasn’t until before Christmas that the Olympic champion from Sochi 2014 returned to the board and today, with her nineteenth victory in the SP race, she equaled the former cross-country skier Kateřina Neumannová. Only Ester Ledecká, who won a total of 26 competitions in snowboarding and downhill skiing, collected more triumphs on snow among Czech athletes.
Adamczyková got into excellent shape very quickly. “I was riding really well, I could pedal to the maximum as normal. The training in Montafon gave me a huge boost, I could start and get moving. In the race, it worked,” continued the three-time SP champion. “We had very fast boards, I thank the boys and the whole team. I rode well even in four. I believed that I would overtake them if they were in front of me.”
She also surprised coach Marek Jelínek. “I believed that Eva would come back in great shape, but I really didn’t expect her to win. The starting field is extremely balanced. The course suited Eva in the obstacles and the way the gates were built, but it was far from ideal for her weight. Evka she did a great job with that, she knew how to follow all the tactical instructions and she sold it incredibly,” he praised.
Choura achieved a career high
He was thrilled that Czech men supported Adamczyk at the venue of the next World Championship. The race of a lifetime was completed by Choura, who already indicated his possibilities with the 11th place in December in Cervinia. The 23-year-old talent managed three elimination races and reached the final. There, a mistake at the start deprived him of the chance to succeed, when he practically stopped at one of the giant obstacles. He took a big loss that he never recovered.
Even the fourth place is his maximum among the elite, for the first time he is in the top ten. He had never even been in the top 20 before this season.
“It turned out incredible, I still don’t understand it myself. I don’t have enough words to describe how much I enjoy it. I made a mistake in the final, but it’s still incredible. It made me feel like I have to compete with the best riders in the world, and maybe even win,” Choura gushed.
Other Czechs Radek Houser and Jan Kubičík were eliminated in the round of 16.