2024-04-09 03:16:42
Her mom is a three-time world champion in figure skating. She tries it herself in gymnastics. This year, however, Lucie Trnková gave priority to graduation, which is why she is no longer fighting for the Olympic Games in Paris. Even so, she belongs to the successful Brno gymnastics club, and in an interview with Aktuálně.cz, she talked about, among other things, how things are with the rules of jerseys at competitions and what legacy Věra Čáslavská left.
In recent days there has been a media report that in New Zealand they are changing the rules for clothing in gymnastics so that female competitors can wear underwear or leggings without problems. How is it in European gymnastics, are there similar restrictions?
So far, the most fundamental change has occurred in the German national team. They pushed the option to race in jerseys with long leggings, which I personally don’t like very much.
So what suits you?
I am a supporter of traditional jerseys, which are the norm here in the Czech Republic. But on the other hand, I’m very glad that there is more benevolence, because I understand that every gymnast is not comfortable being so “exposed”.
Does this mean that Czech gymnasts continue to be penalized if they inadvertently reveal their underwear?
So sometimes it happens that the jersey rolls up a bit and it can happen that the underwear can be seen, for which there would be a potential penalty. But we try to prevent this, for example, by using body underwear that doesn’t hit the eyes so much, or by using glue on the skin, thanks to which we can eliminate the undesired bulging of the jersey. The advantage of the overalls in which the German women compete is that they do not have to worry about their underwear coming off.
Let’s get to your story. How did you get into gymnastics?
Given that my mother signed me up for gymnastics training at Sokol Brno 1 at the age of five and I have stayed until now, I can’t really compare it to any other sport. Mum (Martina Trnková, note red.) also started her sports career in gymnastics, before switching to the currently somewhat forgotten, but even more demanding figure skating, and became a three-time world champion. So in my case, I inherited a sporting talent, although I probably won’t be a world champion. A sports-based family also helped me maintain a certain perspective and humility.
What comes to mind when you hear Věra Čáslavská?
Icon of world gymnastics. And the Olympics in Tokyo 1964, where she became the darling of the audience. She is one of the few Czech athletes who are still known in Japan today. I know that the Olympics in Mexico 1968 was the peak of her sports career, but perhaps even more important was her subsequent attitude towards the occupation of Czechoslovakia and the subsequent normalization. I recommend everyone to watch Olga Sommerová’s documentary, where everything is said.
For being born in 2005, you have respectable knowledge. Did you get to meet her in person?
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to meet her, because in 2016, when she died, I was 11 years old. I think that her sporting achievements and her attitude towards the occupation of 1968 should be remembered often. But here in Brno, a race named after her is organized every year.
Have you ever seen a recording of her races? Is it possible to draw inspiration for contemporary gymnastics from her sets?
Yes, fortunately there are videos available on YouTube, but it is impossible to compare the difficulty of contemporary gymnastics with the era of Věra Čáslavská, because the development went a long way, after all, as in all sports. But I will always admire her elegance and naturalness, which I perhaps lack in contemporary gymnastics. This is doubly true for me, because at 170 centimeters I am one of the tall gymnasts and elegance is important to me.
You are only 18 years old and have regularly competed in the World Cup. How can gymnastics be combined with school?
School is actually in the first place now, because I will graduate from the sports gymnasium of Ludvík Daňko in Brno. Training, competitions, long absences and always catching up on the subject was not always easy, but every top athlete knows that. The school has always been helpful to me. It enabled me to combine a high-quality secondary education with top sport. Modeled after the ancient motto Kalokagathia.
The Olympic Games in Paris are approaching. Do you still have a chance to check it out?
I admit that I considered the possibility of fighting for Paris, but I preferred graduation. Our Brno section colleague Soňa Artamonová has already taken part in the games. And Brňačka Vanesa Mašová still has a chance thanks to the series of races of the ongoing World Cup, which would of course be a great success and I wish the girls a lot.
You already raced in Paris last year, how did you feel about the races?
Yes, I competed in the Bercy hall during the World Cup and I must say that the atmosphere and the whole organization was truly breathtaking. The auditorium was almost full, which was a great experience for me, because gymnastics is unfortunately not that popular in the Czech Republic, so it was unusual for me. I remember this World Cup very fondly. But my performance here was not among the best, I finished twelfth on beam and thirteenth on floor.