Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch named 2021 Czech Athlete of the Year

Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch, 31, a silver medalist at this year's Tokyo Olympics, has been named 2021 Czech Athlete of the Year, the Czech Athletic Association announced at an award-giving ceremony in the Ambassador Hotel in Prague on Saturday evening. Vadlejch won the award for the first time.

Vadlejch made the annual poll's top 10 every year since 2016 and finished second in both 2017 and 2019. He has become the first male winner of the award since 2006, when decathlete Roman Šebrle won for the fifth year in a row.

Last year, the poll was cancelled due to the restricted sports season caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Hurdle runner Zuzana Hejnová won in 2019.

Vadlejch won this year's poll with 1,609 points, 165 more than fellow javelin thrower Vítězslav Veselý, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, who finished second. Shot-putter Tomáš Staněk was third, though he did not advance to the Olympic finals, followed by Kristiina Mäki, a surprise finalist at the 1500-meter race at the Olympics.

Javelin coach and current world record-holder Jan Železný was named coach of the year, his sixth title in the poll. Decathlete František Doubek, the junior world champion from Nairobi, won Junior Athlete of the Year, and hammer thrower Jan Doležálek was named Best New Athlete.

Results of the Athlete of the Year poll for 2021:

Junior Athlete of the Year: František Doubek (decathlon).

Best New Athlete:  Jan Doležálek (hammer throw).

Coach of the Year: Jan Železný.