Martin Hosták is one of Czech TV’s most popular hockey co-commentators, a job he took on after a successful career in Czech hockey, the NHL and in Sweden’s Elitserien. In this edition of One on One, we talk about his years on the ice, his current TV work as well as Czech hopes for a medal from the hockey tournament at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Looking back at the time when he first appeared in the Czech extraliga in the 1980s, Martin Hosták says the game has completely changed.
In Sports news this week: the Czech women’s tennis team beats Germany to reach the Fed Cup semi-finals; in football, Czechs will face title holders Spain in the next European 2012 championship qualifications; goalie Petr Čech contributes to Chelsea’s win over city rival Arsenal; and hockey star Jaromír Jágr returns from Russia fit for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
The freezing cold weather in this part of the world has lasted for more than a month now and most people cannot wait to see temperatures rise. For the country’s hardy men and women however the cold snap has brought new challenges. On Saturday they gathered on the bank of the Vltava River for an annual swimming competition called ‘Branické ledy’, after a former ice storage facility located on the riverbank. I went along to see them in action.