Skip to main content

follow us
Home Czechoslovakia everyday life politics sports Ledecká's Multi-Dimensional Triumph Is Hers, Too Her Family's

Ledecká's Multi-Dimensional Triumph Is Hers, Too Her Family's

No argue for gratitude to the Czech nation...

Hours ago, Ester Ledecká has won her minute Olympic gold, inwards snowboarding.

Today, the expectations were really dissimilar than earlier her Super-G shock, of course. She was defending the victory from basis championships thus bookmakers gave you lot 1.6-to-1 for her victory which way some 60% probability of her victory – much to a greater extent than than the 1% probability implied yesteryear the 100-to-1 odds earlier skiing. She may take away maintain felt some pressure level that she has avoided as the "cinderella inwards skiing" but her confidence may live a goodness thing, too. Anyway, she has won both. Now she plans to add together a gilt inwards windsurfing in addition to believe me, this is non a joke.



I am excited in addition to lots of excited texts take away maintain been written. Cutely enough, a text inwards The New York Times mainly discusses the same original betoken as my previous essay nigh these matters: the advantages of extreme in addition to early on specialization for the professional person sports may live hugely overestimated yesteryear the coaches in addition to the sport institution – it may live generally an erroneous grouping think.




Top athletes take away maintain some full general anatomic in addition to physiological prerequisites as good as skills in addition to moral virtues that allow them to live great. And the virtues needed for 2 similar sports, spell inequivalent, are for sure really positively correlated. So at that topographic point are goodness reasons to recollect that a top athlete inwards i sport may live really goodness inwards some other peculiarly if the 2 are similar enough. Skiing in addition to snowboarding differ inwards some ways but they are also closely related inwards others.



The most recent previous double Olympic gilt from 2 sports at the same games (winter or summertime games, men or women) occurred inwards 1928, shortly later Heisenberg clearly articulated the incertitude principle. Julian Schwinger was 10.

One of the corking things that she got was liberty – liberty to seek both. Most athletes don't taste this form of liberty because they're existence shaped into mechanical overspecialized engines to win medals inwards i dependent which is considered an optimal way to exploit their lives in addition to skills.




I would add together that the human relationship betwixt skiing in addition to snowboarding may live to a greater extent than asymmetric than these discussions take away maintain suggested thus far. Lots of her competitors inwards skiing said that they take away maintain tried snowboarding in addition to the results were non good. Well, I recollect it's almost certainly fair to tell that snowboarding is just harder in addition to if someone manages to practise snowboarding well, she or he belike has some to a greater extent than rare skills than the Alpine skiers. So if the Olympic snowboarders tried skiing as well, their results would belike live amend than if Olympic skiers tried snowboarding.


So I borrowed the skis in addition to won the gold...

Some folks take away maintain pointed out that her path inwards the snowfall was unusual from skiers' viewpoint. It may live because she mentally analyzes the slopes as a snowboarder which is a to a greater extent than creative in addition to multi-dimensional way to human face at the hills. Snowboarders pass much to a greater extent than fourth dimension on the extreme edges of the board in addition to they belike demand to construct a greater issue of decisions when to switch in addition to other things. Maybe it's right to compare snowboarders' approach to that of theoretical physicists' mental attitude to mathematics – which is to a greater extent than aggressive in addition to "out of the box" than the regular mathematicians' mental attitude to mathematics (well, some cast of them).

While skiing is to a greater extent than prestigious a discipline, it may live because of some inertia. Snowboarders may really good live to a greater extent than skillful athletes, I think. If Ledecká has found novel strategies to skiing, those powerfulness live useful for others who analyze them. But it's possible that the right way to apply these strategies is thus hard that average skiers – who aren't goodness snowboarders as good – just won't live able to larn them.



George Korn, Windsurfing. The most probable 3rd sport where she wins an Olympic medal. As he sings,
"for the fact that I cruel inwards love amongst windsurfing, my eternal love to the boards may live blamed". (But inwards the song, his showtime boards were inwards the floors of a theatre podium.)

Individual vs national credit

The snowboarders' superior skills take away maintain been my showtime topic. But I desire to acquire to the other topic announced inwards the title – the interrogation of credit, gratitude, collectivism, in addition to individualism.

As I take away maintain previously mentioned, she comes from a successful family. Her maternal grandpa January Klapáč was an of import thespian inwards an ice-hockey squad that got 2 Olympic medals for Czechoslovakia inwards the 1960s. Her manly someone bring upwards is Janek Ledecký, a top stone instrumentalist who has earned a lot of money peculiarly inwards the 1990s. He's all the same really active in addition to a decade ago, he composed a musical, Hamlet, that was also translated to Korean in addition to became really successful inwards the Regular Korea. Before the Olympics, he was belike to a greater extent than famous inwards Korea than his daughter.

The parents didn't post the kids, Ester in addition to Mr Jonáš, to schools. Instead, they were supporting them inwards things they were goodness at. Ester has been skiing since historic menstruation of 2 in addition to snowboarding since historic menstruation of 5. Her blood brother has also been snowboarding but currently, he is a cartoonist in addition to designer. For example, if you lot human face at the photograph at the top, the snowboarding "robot" outfit was belike designed yesteryear him – in addition to maybe both of them. (Ledecká calls herself "Robot STR" where "STR" stands for "Ester".) I saw some other things he drew in addition to I recollect he's really good. He has also been a corking blood brother when he defended his sis as an laid on domestic dog against diverse jerks.

In total, Janek Ledecký has invested some $500,000 to his daughter's snowboarding in addition to skiing. That's a lot of money for an average Czech someone but he could of class afford it. Some 2 years ago, Janek Ledecký bragged, Ester became a "profitable company" in addition to she bought a Ford Mustang for her father, too, which is non the cheapest motorcar inwards the world. This interesting factoid was published somewhere in addition to it's belike known to most journalists who write nigh Ledecká but they won't cite such things because they recollect that they could wound Ledecká in addition to her household unit of measurement – inwards the eyes of the jealous compatriots whom I volition beak nigh inwards some detail.

You could take away maintain noticed that Ledecká hasn't overexposed our Czech flag in addition to it has rather deep reasons. She believes in addition to her household unit of measurement believes – in addition to I believe – that it's primarily her personal success, in addition to and thus a success of her household unit of measurement in addition to coaches, in addition to maybe a few others (e.g. Ms Shiffrin who lent her skis to Ledecká). Of course, because of the rules yesteryear which the basis works, all Czechs tend to acquire some credit for her legendary triumph. So folks take away maintain congratulated me, too. Well, it's non my achievement although I am pretty sure that as someone who is on a similar frequency when it comes to these matters, I deserve much to a greater extent than of this shared credit than the average Czech.

Note that she was born inwards Czech Republic in addition to has sometimes trained inwards Krkonoše, the highest Czech mountains, but the original preparation has belike taken identify inwards Colorado amongst her U.S. rider vehicle etc. The household unit of measurement is clearly really Cosmopolitan.

Concerning the mental attitude yesteryear the Czech acre in addition to the credit, it was fun to read her father's comment inwards the Slovak article Famous vocalizer thrashed Czechs, both the province in addition to the fans, later his daughter's [first] gold. Here are some quotes:
Janek Ledecký: The racing flavor lasts for iv months but at that topographic point are at to the lowest degree vi extra months of training. In total, it costs something similar $150,000 [I believe he way this figure every year]. Happily, at nowadays she's a profitable fellowship in addition to she tin forcefulness out earn for her expenses herself.

Ester is to a greater extent than respected abroad than she is at home. Of course, she is happy for the back upwards from Czech fans but she is as grateful for the back upwards from unusual fans, too. She doesn't take away maintain the feeling that she owes something to this republic. She has zilch to practise amongst the commonwealth except that she was born here, she speaks Czech, in addition to she pays taxes here.

We're inwards Czech Republic thus the success is never forgiven.
Amen to that. Another thing she has inwards mutual amongst Czech Republic is that she is "Robot STR" in addition to the tidings "robot" was coined yesteryear Czech playwright Mr Karel Čapek. ;-) But that's it.

You know, the grade of jealousy inwards Czech Republic – in addition to indeed, the problems i may encounter just because he or she is successful – is just amazing inwards Czechia. I know quite something nigh these matters as well. During my 10 years inwards the U.S., when I was spending 2 months inwards Czech Republic inwards the summer, I was basically prohibited to fifty-fifty cite that I was inwards the U.S., allow lone Harvard, throughout the year. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 huge fraction of people are frantically jealous in addition to many of them are fifty-fifty fanatically defending jealousy as the default right attitude.

Every acre has some flavor of political correctness in addition to taboos. Somewhere, you lot must live afraid to cite that at that topographic point are differences inwards the nations' skills in addition to IQ or the genders' skills in addition to interests, amidst other things. In Czechia, the success of someone inwards the room is a taboo – it is sometimes as politically wrong as e.g. the N-word inwards the U.S.

It's non hard to recollect of some Czech people who could entirely travel famous exterior the Czech pond. but the stories nigh some emigrants don't fully capture what the people who generally remain inwards Czech Republic take away maintain to routinely face.

There was some other slice of Mr Janek Ledecký's monologue:
Just similar inwards other sports, fifty-fifty inwards skiing, at that topographic point exists a fraction of "ambitious fathers" who pass all of their fourth dimension amongst it in addition to who seek to grapple for special advantages for their children during meetings of the Sport Unions in addition to when the funds are allocated. We take away maintain never been similar that in addition to they e'er mocked us for getting nothing. In spite of that, I am non distressing of a unmarried thing I did.
Yup. The efforts to acquire some "protection" in addition to special advantages is also unbelievably widespread inwards Czech Republic – it's basically the default mental attitude taken yesteryear many fathers (I could hash out some examples of fathers whom I know extremely good but it would acquire likewise sensitive). Maybe the parents of kids who are successful later such behind-the-scenes bureaucratic victories should live grateful to the Sport Unions, to the country, or to the nation. But the Ledecký household unit of measurement doesn't belong to this set. They haven't gotten a penny in addition to their achievements are results of their work.

(Well, of course, a widespread reply is that Janek Ledecký earned his music money from Czech listeners. When someone wants to acquire into plenty to the past, he may e'er conclude that an private is grateful to the society for everything. But he did practise a fair amount of exceptional function for that money as good in addition to if he weren't born into the linguistically semi-isolated Czech basin, he could take away maintain earned much more. As Ledecký showed on "Your Face Has a Famous Voice" inwards recent years, he would live a Mick Jagger or Right Said Fred inwards the Great Britain )

I am all the same amazed yesteryear the rant on the Czech Public Radio's pages which was published days earlier her showtime gilt in addition to whose title is roughly I don't attention nigh you, Ester Ledecká tells everybody. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sports reporter Mr Miroslav Bureš basically dismisses her as an arrogant miss who has achieved zilch in addition to doesn't pass plenty fourth dimension yesteryear nicely talking to the journalists in addition to representatives of the fans who are clearly, according to Mr Bureš, the original people inwards sports.

Sorry, they're not. I tin forcefulness out enumerate a dozen of reasons why it's a goodness thought to practise precisely what she did earlier both medals – to confine herself inwards a bubble that is isolated from the journalists in addition to others. The most of import fact is that the sport itself should just live to a greater extent than of import than some P.R. in addition to everyone who is trying to alter the ordering is doing a corking disservice to sports (yes, this judgement was create to live used because I've said the same thing nigh scientific discipline – which I attention nigh to a greater extent than than sports – many times). Also, it's amend for the concentration. But it's also goodness if you lot don't desire to choose handle of a viral infection. She has hinted at that explanation in addition to it's totally truthful in addition to important, too.

Nobody knows Mr Miroslav Bureš but similar arrogance yesteryear such nobodies is quite characteristic. So nobody knows Mr Bureš but everyone knows people who are just similar Mr Bureš (well, the most famous Bureš, a communist police describe codename, is our acting prime number government minister at nowadays but I am generally talking nigh less visible people now, e.g. the prime number government minister Bureš's typical voters, 1.5 1000000 jealous pieces of šit). The Czech Public Radio is partly funded from mandatory fees – everyone who owns a radio (gadget) has to pay some $20 a year. It's non much but no other radio stations are getting it. After the autumn of communism, I was generally listening to Blue Planet radio stations but times take away maintain changed. The world radio has almost disappeared from my life, except for the fees – I prefer commercial radio stations, in addition to commonly amongst a higher fraction of music, these days.

But this unimportant journalist just thinks that he should live inwards charge, that fifty-fifty top athletes should conduct according to his wishes in addition to prescriptions. It's insane e.g. because he may live earning the average Czech salary spell Ledecká has transformed herself into a multi-million brand. Why should she live obliged to beak to him in addition to similar people? Even if it were a goodness thought for her to beak to some journalists, why does this Mr Bureš recollect that he should live amidst those who volition live honored? And concerning his comment nigh the fans, fans are primarily excited yesteryear what she's showing on the slopes, non yesteryear whether she "talks to them" through some intermediaries.

Don't acquire me wrong. There are lots of Czechs who are happy inwards a similar way inwards which fans inwards other countries would live happy. And lots of people inwards the media handle amongst me in addition to criticized Mr Bureš, e.g. marketing proficient Filip Rožánek inwards the HN fiscal daily (like me, he wrote that there's no "entitlement of the people" to beak to Ledecká, she got her back upwards for doing sports, non PR, in addition to she's promoting herself to a greater extent than effectively herself than through cliché-filled interviews amongst average journalists, anyway, including her Facebook in addition to Instagram rigid presence). Ledecká's achievement is something that people are naturally excited yesteryear fifty-fifty if the superhero is a unusual someone – in addition to lots of Czechs could appreciate such unusual achievements, too. But the existence of such people who are just honestly excited nigh some cool success of somebody else shouldn't mislead you lot nigh the prevalent atmosphere inwards the Czech society in addition to it is indeed the atmosphere of extreme jealousy.


I desire to imagine that the jealousy is unavoidably accompanying some Czech traits that are generally positive such as the immunity towards hype – that is apparent fifty-fifty inwards this joke yesteryear her ain Twitter assistant.

Aside from the people whose demeanour is adequate, you lot e'er discovery some amazingly annoying people who are jealous in addition to who entirely tolerate success of other Czechs when losers similar themselves are constantly getting credit for it. There are lots of ordinary environments where this mental attitude is completely dominating. My mental attitude may win on the Internet but the jealous in addition to entitled thought dominates the living rooms and/or the street. Even some athletes who take away maintain done cool things, e.g. inwards the NHL, provide to Czech Republic in addition to human face upwards this harassment. Also, when typical Czech women (say lx years old) hash out the music contests or beak shows that aired on TV final night, they laid on everybody who was likewise goodness or likewise dissimilar or likewise successful because it right away way that he or she was pompous. You demand to live an average slice of šit to practise OK amongst these people.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rally is planned at the Old Town Square on Mon to welcome our double Olympic champion in addition to she says to live "looking forrad to the Czech food", maybe to mask that her genuinely love eating identify is the KFC. Things may human face fine but I practise recollect that she wants to pass to a greater extent than fourth dimension abroad inwards coming years because she volition avoid tons of the negative attending inwards this way.

Czechs commonly can't human activity as a coherent acre that supports itself. In recent decades, sports count as an exception. But I experience that entirely collective sports in addition to sports that are "apparently done yesteryear some unions" acquire this genuinely positive handling from the masses of the most ordinary Czechs. Ice-hockey is a collective sport thus it has e'er been OK for the jealous Czech. Soccer used to live OK when everyone had nigh the same salary but it's travel a slight work when soccer superstars emerged (the most expensive soccer thespian inwards FC Viktoria Pilsen should live sold for $17 1000000 soon). Tennis – inwards which Czechs take away maintain been successful – is already problematic. Ivan Lendl in addition to Martina Navrátilová emigrated for some goodness reasons, including the way how they were treated.

Alpine skiing in addition to snowboarding are arguably fifty-fifty to a greater extent than individualist sports. They're also the typical sports of the same capitalist countries that tin forcefulness out export lots of chocolate. These sports take away maintain likewise much of the individualist flavor. Ester Ledecká has been hard-working for twenty out of 22 years inwards her life thus far. But it was all the same done inside a lifestyle that may live considered luxurious yesteryear the average Czech in addition to that's a root of psychological problems for the average Czech.

I am honored yesteryear the coincidence of belonging to the same acre as she does but delight don't assume that her double triumph should live understood as a triumph of the mass of the Czech acre or its social in addition to political structures. She has succeeded non because of these things but despite these things.

And that's the memo.

P.S. 1: Concerning these political attitudes of the family, Janek Ledecký calls himself a Euroskeptic. In fact, he claims that he was already i during the 2004 Czentry referendum. That's impressive if he voted similar Klaus. At that time, I was all the same a "Join" voter.

P.S. 2: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 weird particular endeavour yesteryear a pol to nationalize her success:


The electrical flow government minister of defence K.Š. – almost everyone is OK amongst the fact that the boss of all the soldiers is lesbian – says that she's happy that Ledecká represents @ASCDukla, a armed services club. Wow, that's actually ludicrous. Thankfully, someone earlier me responded that she primarily represents the efforts, investments, love, in addition to background made yesteryear her family. What's thus hard nigh it?

I would add together that to live registered amongst a society is belike some bureaucratic restriction in addition to she had to choice someone. That doesn't hateful that the someone deserves much of the credit.

You Might Also Like:

Comment Policy: Silahkan tuliskan komentar Anda yang sesuai dengan topik postingan halaman ini. Komentar yang berisi tautan tidak akan ditampilkan sebelum disetujui.
Buka Komentar