Czech cross-country sprinter Ondřej Černý had a successful 2022/2023 season, setting career bests, earning 459 points in the World Cup ranking, and making him the 15th-best sprinter of the season. Get to know about this powerful Czech sprinter, his winter season, and what awaits him in the future.

While Černý experienced some bad luck in the first half of the season, he still felt excited about his overall results, hoping to improve next season and avoid making unnecessary mistakes. 

In an interview with the Czech Ski & Snowboard Association, Černý explained that he had two moments that stood out during the season: Lahti, where he progressed further than expected, and Toblach, where he reached the semi-finals for the first time. 

While he felt satisfied with the second half of the season, Ondřej believes the main difference was in his head, as he began to believe in himself more. Looking back at the World Championships, Černý felt disappointed for not performing well but was happy for his friend Michal Novák who finished 4th in the sprint final. 

Looking back to the winter season, what are your thoughts about it?

“Overall, I’m excited about the whole season. At least from the results I had. The only thing I would like to improve before next year were slightly unnecessary mistakes, but otherwise, I’m very happy,” says Ondřej Černý.

Analyzing the course profiles and what suited him best last season, Černý has a favorite.

“For me, it is Drammen in Norway. It’s a shorter urban sprint with a not-so-big profile, which suits me personally. Qualifying and heats were not so physically exhausting for me. When I reached the finish line in Drammen, I didn’t feel I should ‘pass out’, that I had to fall. Of course, I gave it my all, but I felt it fit my profile better and the body would regenerate faster.”

Ondřej is the Czech men’s team’s youngest athlete and has plenty of room for development.

“There are points where I can improve. I have good and strong points, but in general strength or endurance, I have some reserves compared to my opponents and colleagues on the national team. I think this results from genetics and predispositions and the fact that I am younger and do not yet train as much as the others. The training increase from juniors must be gradual for each individual and cannot be increased dramatically.”

What did this season bring to you for the future, and what can you take from it?

“To put it briefly, joy and motivation for the coming years.”

How about the next season? What are your goals and plans? What will you be focusing on?

“The goal is to keep improving. Before, my goal was to reach the semi-finals because that was something I didn’t achieve, and I was close to it. Now I would like to see myself in the semi-finals more often and, if it works out, the finals as well. I just want to be better every year.”

Preparations for the upcoming winter season are already underway.

“We will start with some training plan at the beginning of May. But in the last two weeks of April, I also started doing something, moving a little. Mostly for fun, but also because the body doesn’t get too lazy,” concludes Ondřej Černý.

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