The third generation of the Řezáč family is slowly coming of age. Aleš Řezáč, the younger son of Stanislav, entered the junior national team this spring. Will he follow in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Czech Pro Team athlete?

The third generation of the Řezáč family is slowly coming of age. Aleš Řezáč, the younger son of Stanislav, entered the junior national team this spring. Will he follow in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Czech Pro Team athlete?

Being born, living, and racing with the surname Řezáč is not easy in the Czech skiing community. Many people wonder whether he will compete in long-distance races and follow in his father’s tracks. Fortunately, the young, talented skier does not let outside pressure get to him and is taking his own path.

We could see him earlier, accompanying Stanislav on some bike training sessions. But after his parents’ divorce, he doesn’t see his father much: “I only see dad at races, or at Jizerská50, otherwise we don’t spend much time together. Maybe sometimes at a training camp,” he explains the current family situation.

Nevertheless, according to Bezky.net, his father is a massive inspiration for Aleš: “Dad was always my sporting role model. I looked up to him. I also wanted to experience what he experienced. At every race he competed in, I told myself I would like to be there one day too.”

On the podium from an early age

In 2018, Aleš won silver at the Youth Olympic Games. Two years later, he took relay gold and two individual silver medals.

According to Aleš, his most significant success came last year at the EYOF: “I value most my result from Georgia, where I managed to finish 5th in the sprint. Performance-wise, I felt great, but I got tangled up and fell,” he points out, noting the result could have been even better.

This year, he has joined the Czech junior national team, and his goal is to qualify for the Junior World Championships. “The goal for this year is to qualify for JWSC and then achieve the best possible result there. I’ll also focus on the OPA Cups, which our club should attend all of,” explains Aleš, adding that he is not as intimidated by competition this season: “This year the juniors are only 1–2 years older, not 3–4 like last year.”

Training and studies

The 18-year-old competes for his home club, Ski Club Jablonec, which Jan Hásek and Klára Moravcová coach. This year, he attended his first national team training camp, which he really enjoyed, and he also works with Norwegian technique coach Ragnar Bragvin Andersen.

“He’s great for technique and explains everything clearly. I really like him. We met during an SCM camp in Vesec, and next month we should go to the ski tunnel with him to work more on technique,” says the junior skier.

Currently, he is in his final year at the Secondary Technical School in Jablonec, where he studies mechanical engineering. He is set to graduate this spring. “The teachers are supportive, and I don’t need any special arrangements,” says the young talent from the Jizera Mountains.

Mountain bikes put aside

Until last year, he combined mountain bike races with cross-country skiing. “I tried to race mountain bikes. Sometimes I even made it to the podium, but combining it with skiing was tough. Switching straight from bikes to skis and back. This year I skipped cycling for the first time, and I feel more rested and better prepared for skiing. Skiing is in our family, so it’s closer to me,” explains the Jablonec native, whose father and grandfather both won the Jizerská50.

His grandfather also worked for many years as a biathlon coach in Jablonec. Aleš’s brother Tomáš pursued biathlon, but Aleš was not persuaded: “Grandpa used to try to convince me, but not anymore. When he saw what the coaches were like there, he told me I’d better stick with skiing.”

And what about long-distance races?

One day, he might want to try long-distance skiing too: “Right now, I’m focused on traditional skiing, but I like the long races as well. I’d like to try some occasionally, maybe later, when I’m older and more mature,” he says, adding that he won’t follow the exact path of Alvar Myhlback, but admits that the young Swede is an inspiration.

For now, he considers himself an all-rounder: “I like mass-start races, but whether I’ll be better at shorter or longer distances, I don’t know yet. For now, I’m doing quite well in both.”

So, what will Aleš’s first season focusing only on skiing look like?

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