Czech Olympic commentator criticized for dropping 'ová' on foreign athletes' names

The long-running debate over how Czech Television (ČT) handles foreign female names has resurfaced after a recent Olympics broadcast.

During the women's 200-meter butterfly semifinal, commentator Ondřej Zamazal made an effort to pronounce all the athletes' names correctly in their original forms. This was a departure from the network's typical practice of adapting foreign names to fit Czech language conventions.

While Zamazal's approach was generally well-received by viewers and on social media, the sports editorial leadership at ČT made it clear this was an isolated incident.

"The rule about altering [names] still applies, this was Zamazal's 'experiment', but he will normally alter them like everyone else," Michal Dusík, the editor-in-chief of the ČT Sports department, told Czech media outlet Seznam Zprávy.

This is not the first time Czech TV has faced criticism over its handling of foreign names. In 2009, cross-country skier and politician Zuzana Kocumová, who was working as an external commentator for the network, clashed with the sports department over her refusal to use the adapted female names during World Ski Championships coverage. She was temporarily pulled from the broadcasts before later returning.

ČT spokesperson Vendula Krejčová defended the network's standard practice, stating: "According to the rules of the Czech language, ČT changes foreign female names. Exceptions are generally known names (Lady Gaga, Madonna)."

However, Zamazal's gesture was praised on social media by activist and presenter Lenka Králová, who posted on X: "Zamazal is the hero of the day for me! He found enough courage in himself not to distort – that is, not to mutilate – the surnames of foreign women during the swimming race. It was a small victory of respect and humanity over nationalism and the most wretched form of chauvinism."

The debate over how to handle foreign names on ČT continues, with advocates pushing for more inclusive and respectful practices.

"We are the only country in Europe that changes someone's name. I live in a foreign country so I know that people either laugh at or rebel against our twisting of their names...a name is one of the human rights. It is not possible to change someone's name if the person does not want it to be," linguist Jana Valdrová told Deník N.

Recently, Czech tennis stars Petra Kvitová and Markéta Vondroušová urged the media to use players' actual names without the suffix. Linguists argue for maintaining the traditional suffix for clarity and respect for the Czech language.