September 4, 2024·Sport·Editorial
David Kratochvíl (Source: Profimedia)
Sixteen-year-old blind swimmer David Kratochvíl completed his medal collection at the Paralympics in Paris. After winning gold in the 400-meter freestyle and silver in the 100-meter event, he won bronze in the 200-meter medley. He can’t see his rivals, but he’s breaking records.
The story of teenager David Kratochvíl touches not only the Czech Republic, but also the whole world. He was able to watch the Paralympics three years ago, but left his place to the veteran and his national team partner Miroslav Smrček. At the age of 58, he was able to enjoy the atmosphere of top races for the last time. For this step, Kratochvíl received the fairplay award of the Czech Club at the Czech Olympic Committee.
The young swimmer knew that he had his whole career ahead of him and that the desired success could come. And he came now. The smiling champion won first gold, then silver, and confirmed his phenomenal Paris run on Tuesday when he swam for bronze. He bought his ticket to Paris last year in Manchester, when at the age of fifteen, in a dramatic race, he drew attention to himself in a free manner and overcame much more experienced opponents.
Although he is only sixteen years old, he has really accomplished a lot. Retinal cancer entered his path as a child and his first eye was removed when he was a year and a half old. But the suffering did not end, the disease returned in the treated eye at the age of five and a half. “The eye remained, but it was already quite scarred. In the first grade of elementary school, the disease came back again and the doctors had to remove the eye as well. So I am completely blind, I have eye prostheses,” he told in an interview for Daily.
So he had to give up both hockey and tennis, which he tried. He didn’t want to give up sports, so he and his family looked for what he could do. He tried swimming and in the pool he could do it as if he was born in it. He excelled among blind and healthy athletes. He showed in Paris that effort and determination paid off. Moreover, it is not written anywhere that he could not repeat the successes. After all, he is only sixteen years old and the peak of his career and life is ahead of him.
