Czech Republic competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics after gaining its independence from the former Czechoslovakia. The Czech Olympic Committee sent a total of 133 athletes to the Games, 68 men and 65 women, to compete in 19 sports.
Czech Republic left London with a total of 11 medals (4 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze), the same total achieved in Atlanta. This was in stark contrast with the zero medal tally of the neighbouring Austria, a nation of roughly comparable size. Finishing the nineteenth position in the medal standings was the second best performance for the Czech Republic in the post-Czechoslovak era.
Among the nation's medalists were Barbora Špotáková, who successfully defended her Olympic title in women's javelin throw, and rower Ondřej Synek, who managed to repeat his silver medal in men's single sculls. Three Czech athletes won Olympic gold medals for the first time in history: single sculls rower Miroslava Knapková, modern pentathlete David Svoboda, and mountain biker Jaroslav Kulhavý. Several Czech athletes, however, missed out of medal standings in the finals, including rifle shooter and defending champion Kateřina Emmons, and javelin thrower Vítězslav Veselý.
For the first time in its history, the Czech House (located in the Business Design Centre in borough of Islington) had become accessible to the public (i.e. not only the team members and VIPs), attracting over 78,000 visitors during the Olympics. In a brief comparison of selected national centres, AP news agency even awarded this project an imaginary "gold medal". A moving sculpture by David Černý named London Booster (a life-sized London double-decker bus doing push-ups with humanoid arms)A London Booster photo on Flickr was a major feature outside the Czech House. Meanwhile, Czech presentation relied heavily on eccentricity. For example, the official outfit, in which Czech athletes paraded during the opening ceremonies (and some also entered podiums), featured bright blue Wellington boots (a joke on the stereotypically unstable British weather).
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Miroslava Knapková Rowing Women's single sculls Barbora Špotáková Athletics Women's javelin throw David Svoboda Modern pentathlon Men's event Jaroslav Kulhavý Cycling Men's cross-country Vavřinec Hradilek Canoeing Men's slalom K-1 Ondřej Synek Rowing Men's single sculls Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká Tennis Women's doubles Zuzana Hejnová Athletics Women's 400 m hurdles Adéla Sýkorová Shooting Women's 50 m rifle 3 positions Josef DostálDaniel HavelJan ŠtěrbaLukáš Trefil Canoeing Men's K-4 1000 m Vítězslav Veselý Athletics Men's javelin throw
|style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top;"| Medals by sport Sport Total Athletics 1 1 1 3 Canoeing 0 1 1 2 Cycling 1 0 0 1 Modern pentathlon 1 0 0 1 Rowing 1 1 0 2 Shooting 0 0 1 1 Tennis 0 1 0 1 Total 4 4 3 11 |style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top;"| Medals by dateDayDate Total50101701018101290101120101131012151012161001Total44311 |style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top;"|
Medals by genderGenderTotalPercentageMale222654.54%Female221545.45%Mixed00000.00%Total4433100% |style="text-align:left;width:22%;vertical-align:top;"|
Multiple medalistsNameSport Total0000
Competitors The Czech Olympic Committee selected a team of 133 athletes, 68 men and 65 women, to compete in 19 sports; this was the nation's second-largest team sent to the Olympics, tying the record (one athlete and two sports less) set by Beijing. Women's basketball was the only team-based sport in which the Czech Republic had its representation in these Olympic Games. There was only a single competitor in boxing, trampoline gymnastics, weightlifting, and wrestling.
The Czech team included five past Olympic champions, three of them defending (rifle shooter Kateřina Emmons, trap shooter David Kostelecký, and javelin thrower Barbora Špotáková). Finn sailor Michael Maier, at age 48, was the oldest athlete of the team, while swimmer Jan Micka was the youngest at age 17. Slalom canoer and double gold medalist Štěpánka Hilgertová, who had participated at every Olympic games since 1992, made her sixth appearance as the most experienced athlete.
Other notable Czech athletes featured decathlete and former Olympic champion Roman Šebrle, mountain biker Kateřina Nash, who competed at both Summer and Winter Olympic games, javelin thrower and defending world champion Vítězslav Veselý, and high jumper and former bronze medalist Jaroslav Bába. Badminton player and cancer survivor Petr Koukal was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
| width=78% align=left valign=top | The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games: SportMenWomenTotalAthletics 14 17 31Badminton 1 1 2Basketball 0 12 12Boxing 1 0 1Canoeing 10 1 11Cycling 7 3 10Gymnastics 1 2 3Judo 3 0 3Modern pentathlon 2 1 3Rowing 9 3 12Sailing 3 1 4Shooting 7 3 10Swimming 2 5 7Synchronized swimming 0 2 2Table tennis 0 2 2Tennis 2 6 8Triathlon 2 2 4Volleyball 2 4 6Weightlifting 1 0 1Wrestling 1 0 1 Total 68 65 133
Athletics
Czech athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
Key Note – Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only Q = Qualified for the next round q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target NR = National record N/A = Round not applicable for the event Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankPavel Maslák200 m20.674colspan=4 400 m44.912 Q45.155colspan=2 Jakub Holuša800 m1:46.874colspan=4 Josef Prorok400 m hurdles50.337colspan=4 Jan KreisingerMarathoncolspan=4 2:25:0367
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionRoman NovotnýLong jump6.9638colspan=2 Štěpán Wagner7.5030colspan=2 Jaroslav BábaHigh jump2.2121colspan=2 Jan KudličkaPole vault5.50=9 q5.658Antonín ŽalskýShot put19.6223colspan=2 Petr FrydrychJavelin throw75.4634colspan=2 Jakub Vadlejch77.6125colspan=2 Vítězslav Veselý88.341 Q83.34Lukáš MelichHammer throw75.889 q77.176
Combined events – Decathlon AthleteEvent 100 m 400 m 1500 mFinalRankRoman ŠebrleResult11.54————————Points7440————————
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankKateřina Čechová100 mcolspan=2 11.435colspan=4 Lenka Masná800 m2:08.685colspan=2 colspan=4 Tereza Čapková1500 m4:12.1512colspan=2 colspan=4 Lucie Škrobáková100 m hurdles13.013 Qcolspan=2 12.815colspan=2 Zuzana Hejnová400 m hurdles53.961 Qcolspan=2 53.622 Q53.38 SBDenisa Rosolová55.425 qcolspan=2 54.873 q55.277Jitka BartoničkováZuzana BergrováTereza ČapkováZuzana HejnováLenka MasnáDenisa Rosolová4 × 400 m relay3:26.204 qcolspan=4 3:27.777Lucie Pelantová20 km walkcolspan=6 1:33:3535Ivana SekyrováMarathoncolspan=6 2:37:1467
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionOldřiška MarešováHigh jump1.8029colspan=2 Jiřina PtáčníkováPole vault4.5512 q4.456Věra CechlováDiscus throw55.0034colspan=2 Jarmila KlimešováJavelin throw59.9014colspan=2 Barbora Špotáková66.191 Q69.55 SBKateřina ŠafránkováHammer throw66.1631colspan=2
Combined events – Heptathlon AthleteEvent 200 m 800 mFinalRankEliška KlučinováResult14.011.8012.9325.006.1345.652:16.08610918Points977978723887890776878
Badminton
AthleteEventGroup stageRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankPetr KoukalMen's singlesL 8–21, 8–21L 17–21, 21–16, 16–213colspan=5 Kristína GavnholtWomen's singlesL 18–21, 14–21W 21–13, 15–21, 21–152colspan=5
Basketball
Czech Republic has qualified a women's team. Women's team – 1 team of 12 players
Women's tournament
Roster
Group play
Quarter-final
Boxing
Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankZdeněk ChládekLight welterweightL 12–20colspan=5
Canoeing
Slalom Czech Republic has qualified boats for all slalom events. AthleteEventPreliminarySemifinalFinalRun 1RankRun 2RankBestRankTimeRankTimeRankVavřinec HradilekMen's K-187.44287.66287.443 Q99.588 Q94.78Stanislav JežekMen's C-194.094206.821694.099 Q104.377 Q105.735Stanislav JežekVavřinec HradilekMen's C-2104.006150.8711104.008 Q115.509colspan=2 Ondřej ŠtěpánekJaroslav Volf106.918106.919 Q112.227colspan=2 Štěpánka HilgertováWomen's K-1101.503100.753100.755 Q114.109 Q109.164
Sprint Czech Republic has qualified boats for the following events. AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankFilip DvořákJaroslav RadoňMen's C-2 1000 m3:38.7114 Q3:37.8392 FA3:37.6015Josef DostálDaniel HavelJan ŠtěrbaLukáš TrefilMen's K-4 1000 m2:54.2672 Q2:54.3033 FA2:55.850 Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road AthleteEventTimeRankJan BártaMen's road race5:46:3775Roman Kreuziger5:46:0515
Track Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1Repechage 1Round 2Repechage 2QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankPavel KelemenMen's sprint10.31196.82813W LLcolspan=2 9th place finalL10
Keirin AthleteEvent1st roundRepechage2nd roundFinalRankRankRankRankDenis ŠpičkaMen's keirin5 R6 17
Mountain biking AthleteEventTimeRankOndřej CinkMen's cross-country1:32:1614Jaroslav Kulhavý1:29:07Jan Škarnitzl1:31:4812Kateřina NashWomen's cross-country1:36:2214
BMX AthleteEventSeedingSemifinalFinalResultRankPointsRankResultRankAneta HladíkováWomen's BMX40.84610165colspan=2 Romana Labounková41.09611176colspan=2
Gymnastics
Artistic Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankMartin KonečnýAll-around14.26612.90013.16614.86613.73314.10083.03134colspan=8
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankKristýna PálešováAll-around12.96613.80014.1339.70050.59947colspan=6
Trampoline AthleteEventQualificationFinalScoreRankScoreRankZita FrydrychováWomen's76.56015colspan=2
Judo
Czech Republic qualified 3 judokas.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankJaromír JežekMen's 73 kgW 0100–0000L 0001–0010colspan=5 Jaromír MusilMen's 81 kgL 0001–1000colspan=6 Lukáš KrpálekMen's 100 kgW 1001–0000L 0011–1000 L 0000–1010 7
Modern pentathlon
Czech Republic has qualified three athletes in modern pentathlon.
AthleteEventFencing(épée one touch)Swimming(200 m freestyle)Riding(show jumping)Combined: shooting/running(10 m air pistol)/(3000 m)Total pointsFinal rankResultsRankMP pointsTimeRankMP pointsPenaltiesRankMP pointsTimeRankMP pointsOndřej PolívkaMen's12–23=346882:02.71=1013286415113610:25.9942500565215David Svoboda26–911024 OR2:04.841713046816113210:33.02624685928 ORNatálie DianováWomen's17–18=198082:13.787119614428105612:33.61231988504822
Rowing
Czech Republic has so far qualified boats for the following events
Men AthleteEventHeatsRepechageQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankOndřej SynekSingle sculls6:53.231 QFcolspan="2" 6:53.321 SA/B7:16.581 FA6:59.37Milan BruncvíkMichal HorváthMatyáš KlangJakub PodrazilFour5:54.374 R6:04.564colspan=2 colspan=3 13Jiří KopáčJan VetešníkOndřej VetešníkMiroslav Vraštil Jr.Lightweight four5:52.694 R6:02.233 SA/Bcolspan=2 6:06.856 FB6:11.4911
Women