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Carolina (English) No 333
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Charles University in Prague
Faculty of Social Sciences
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 333, Friday, May 21, 1999.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 12 - May 19)
Gold Rush Continues: Hockey Players Win World Championships
A wave of excitement shook the Czech Republic - the national hockey
team, one year after it triumphed in the Nagano Olympics, won the ice
hockey World Championships in Norway. It is the second title for the
independent Czech Republic (the first was in Vienna in 1996), the former
Czechoslovakia won six.
The Czechs eliminated Canada in the semifinals and in the finals
they defeated Finland. The final series was decided by a goal in sudden
death after the teams each won one game of the two-game final series.
"It is the result of the team, not of an individual. It was important
that all players sacrificed their personal statistics for the benefit of
the team," said forward Martin Rucinsky.
The interest in hockey overshadowed the week's other events. People
celebrated in the streets and several thousands of them welcomed the
team at the airport like after the victory in Nagano. Prime Minister
Milos Zeman and the Education Minister Eduard Zeman welcomed the
players, too. "I want to thank all the boys who were in Norway," said
coach Ivan Hlinka. "We decided that players who did not want to play
would not play for the national team. The national team is for players
who want to play. And we're not going to talk about the bonuses for
victories. The Canadians don't have any. I think we'll be like that
soon. We'll have players who'll say, 'We want to play, we want to see
the Czech flag.'" Hlinka also thanked the fans: "You know, it's really
nice when a guy calls from a bar and says: We're not interested in
Temelin, we care about how you're going to play. That's a little
exaggerated, but it's a fact."
The players considered the public support very important. "They
sent us a huge amount of faxes. The best message was: Boys, thanks! My
Dad cried and my mom went out drinking," said forward Tomas Vlasak and
added: "No other team in the world like us has a heart like we do. We
managed to stay together and we knew even if Finns got it together
themselves, they could not mean it from the heart like us."
Stepan Etrych/Mirek Langer
Government Decides to Finish Temelin
After tempestuous debate, Prime Minister Milos Zeman's Cabinet
decided May 14 that construction of the nuclear power plant Temelin
(Jaderna elektrarna Temelin, JETE) will be completed. The completion was
voted for by 11 ministers, eight were against. Trade Minister Miroslav
Gregr said the Temelin's costs must not exceed 98.5 billion crowns and
the deadline for Temelin's start-up must be the year 2001, or he will
resign.
The decision was preceded by stormy discussions. The European
Parliament May 6 approved a resolution indirectly calling on the Czech
Government not to complete Temelin. Czech EU ambassador Josef Kreuter
said about the resolution that he has never seen "such a pack of lies."
The resolution was also rejected by Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
Chairman Vaclav Klaus, who said Temelin is so safe that many European
countries could learn from it.
A few hours before the Government's decision, Temelin opponents
were supported by President Vaclav Havel. Havel appealed to the ruling
Social Democrats to keep their promise - when they were in opposition
the Social Democrats demanded a referendum on Temelin. Havel also
accused CEZ (the Czech Energy Company) representatives of repeated lies.
"I do not think we fought against the communist regime in order to
replace it with some strange, more hidden, more discreet dictatorship of
one single company." Klaus called this statement of Havel's an
unacceptable intervention into the executive branch's authority. "His
speech recalls the age when a Communist Party general secretary ruled in
Prague Castle and sent orders down from the ramparts about how the
government should vote."
A group of senators led by Senate Vice Chairman Petr Pithart,
Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima or famous Czech ice-hockey goalkeeper
Dominik Hasek also protested against Temelin. Temelin supporters
countered with arguments about Temelin's economic advantages, ecological
friendliness and public opinion polls showing that two-thirds of
respondents support Temelin's completion.
The Government's verdict was received bitterly by ecologists.
Rainbow Movement Chairman Jakub Patocka said completion need not mean
Temelin will start up. The Southern Bohemia Mothers ecological
initiative warns that it will continue with its lawsuit against CEZ,
which will delay the completion. Negative reactions from Czech neighbors
were also heard, for example from German Environment Minister Juergen
Trittin or Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel, who said that
Temelin will complicate the Czech Republic's efforts to join the EU.
Temelin supporters welcome the decision as a victory of reason.
"It's a big victory," said CEZ Chairman of the Board Milan Cerny.
Stanislav Svoboda, director of Temelin's main supplier Skoda Prague,
said to daily MF DNES that Temelin will be finished on time and without
further cost hikes. The Government's vote was welcomed also by ODS
parliamentary Club Chairman Vlastimil Tlusty and Communist Party Vice
Chairman Miroslav Ransdorf.
The weekly Respekt quoted a waiter from a restaurant in the town of
Temelin: "People here don't talk about the building at all, we are happy
that it will be finished, but the guys here are more interested in why
(the Czech national hockey team) lost to Canada yesterday."
Construction of Temelin was begun in 1980 by the communist rulers
of the former Czechoslovakia with a budget of 35 billion crowns.
Start-up was planned for the summer of 1991. In 1984 Prime Minister
Lubomir Strougal announced that Temelin will start up in 1992 - the
75th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.
In 1992, Temelin was again discussed by the ministers of Prime
Minister Petr Pithart's Czech Government, but they refused to vote
before the election that year. The new Government, headed by Klaus,
voted for completion in 1993 with a new total budget of 68 billion
crowns. Since then, the budget and start-up have been changed at least
twice a year, with final costs now estimated at 98.6 billion crowns.
Jakub Jirovec/Jakub Jirovec
Central-European Presidents Discuss Situation in Balkans
Nine presidents of central European states met May 14 for
a two-day summit in Lvov, Ukraine. The sixth such summit included the
leaders of Hungary, Poland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech
Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine.
The main subject of discussion was the Kosovo crisis and possible
resolutions. The presidents declared their support for the proposal of
G7 and Russia and emphasized the key role of the UN Security Council.
They also proposed a conference to discuss the future of the Balkans.
On his way back from the summit Czech President Vaclav Havel
stopped in Warsaw, where he received the inaugural award from the daily
Gazeta Wyborza.
Petr Kupec/Sofia Karakeva
NEWS IN BRIEF
* Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus and Freedom
Union (US) Jan Ruml agreed, as was expected, at a private lunch May 17
that they cannot discuss forming a coalition without a clear statement
from the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL). Ruml said they did not discuss
anything specific, although Klaus told him the ODS is willing to talk
further.
* Voter preferences for the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD) dropped in
April to their lowest level since 1996. According to Sofres-Factum
agency, 18.8 per cent of respondents would vote for them, a decline of
3.7 per cent since the last poll. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) would
collect 22.8 per cent of the vote, a decline of 3.9 per cent. On the
other hand, the Communists (KSCM) improved to 12.8 per cent, and 9.6 per
cent of respondents expressed preference for the Freedom Union. The last
party which would have enough votes to take seats in Parliament would be
the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) with 8.7 per cent.
* Foreign Minister Jan Kavan opened a Czech consulate in the Japanese
city of Kobe.
Linda Kholova, Zuzana Galova/Jan Martinek
Milan Stibral Still Leads Czech Press Agency (CTK)
The Czech Press Agency (CTK) Council re-elected Milan Stibral as
general director of the only press agency in Czech Republic.
The 52-year-old Stibral will lead CTK for the next six years, with
his second term beginning June 8. He was first elected director in June
1993 and has worked in the agency since 1966. The other candidate,
sociologist Jiri Svitek, did not receive any votes in the secret
election.
The re-elected chairman did not try to hide his delight. "I am
closely connected with CTK and I am pleased to share in its further
development," said Stibral. He also said that CTK would concentrate more
on the news for "non-media" clients, on the Internet and be involved in
the development of new technologies.
Jan Mates/Jan Martinek
FROM SLOVAKIA
Presidential Election Runoff Is Fight between Two Men
Kosice Mayor and Civic Party of Understanding (SOP) Chairman Rudolf
Schuster and former Premier a Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS)
Chairman Vladimir Meciar were the two top finishers in the first round
of the Slovak presidential election May 15. Just less than 74 per cent
of eligible voters cast their ballots, with 47.4 per cent voting for
Schuster and 37.2 per cent choosing Meciar. Polls had predicted
independent candidate Magda Vasaryova, actress and former ambassador to
Austria, would receive twice the 6.6 per cent she garnered.
None of the other six candidates received more than 5 per cent.
Former President Michal Kovac renounced his candidacy three days before
the election (see Carolina 332).
The runoff will be held May 29. Most polls predict Schuster will
win close to 60 per cent of the vote in the runoff.
Petra Machova/Katerina Kolarova
Four Prime Ministers Give New Life to Visegrad Alliance
The heads of the governments of the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Poland and Hungary met May 14 in the Slovak capital of Bratislava and
decided to revive the idea of closer cooperation between the countries
in an effort to speed the process of their joining the European Union.
Prime Ministers Milos Zeman (CR), Mikulas Dzurinda (Slovakia),
Jerzy Buzek (Poland) and Viktor Orban (Hungary) decided to organize
regular meetings in the future, not only as an annual summit session but
also as informal encounters.
The Visegrad group was established in 1991 when the presidents of
the former Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary signed a political
declaration on close regional cooperation at the Hungarian historical
site of Visegrad. Later, the Visegrad concept was largely forgotten
after Czechoslovakia split and the political situation in Slovakia
dramatically worsened, as well as because of the attitude of former
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, who preferred an individual approach
to the European integration process. The economic base of Visegrad
cooperation is CEFTA - the Central European Free Trade Association.
Jan Mates/Milan Smid
ECONOMY
CSOB Privatization - Talks Continue
According to a reliable source quoted in the Hospodarske noviny
daily May 17, negotiations on the sale of the state's controlling share
in the Czechoslovak Trade Bank (Ceskoslovenska obchodni banka, CSOB)
will go on with Germany's Deutsche Bank (DB) and Belgium's KBC Bank. The
third suitor, HypoVereinsbank (Germany's second largest bank) was
allegedly rejected because its bid was too low. It is said that Deutsche
Bank offered 1.2 billion USD for the 66-per-cent stake in CSOB, while
KBC Bank upped its earlier offer to 1.4 billion USD.
KBC Bank asked for details about government guarantees given to
CSOB by the previous Cabinet of Josef Tosovsky concerning Slovak debts
to CSOB of 15 billion crowns.
Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman met his Slovak counterpart Mikulas
Dzurinda May 15-16. According Czech Government spokesman Libor Roucek,
the meeting did not produce anything that would threaten the CSOB
privatization. Slovakia owns, through the National Bank of Slovakia, 24
per cent of CSOB and it is ready to sell its share with the Czech
Government.
Pavlina Hodkova/Milan Smid
Middle-Term EU Strategy Released
The Social Democrat Cabinet May 17 unanimously approved the
document Economic Strategy of the Czech Republic for Joining the EU: The
Ability to Compete - Growth - Employment - Solidarity, aimed at
harmonizing Czech economic performance with that of EU states. However,
the study did not include cost estimates for the transformation. The
document is to be connected with budget prognoses until 2002 and the
Czech National Bank's long-range monetary policy.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy Pavel Mertlik must by the
end of June add to the document some macroeconomic models which are so
far available only in a draft version. The basic strategy of the
transformation is step-by-step deregulation instead of one-time price
shocks.
The plan makes clear that a deficit budget is expected for the next
several years, so the Government is going to propose a change from
annual budgets to middle-term budgets.
Pavlina Hodkova/Milan Smid
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid May 21)
------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 37.940
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.561
Great Britain 1 GBP 57.445
Denmark 1 DKK 5.103
Japan 100 JPY 28.659
Canada 1 CAD 24.277
IMF 1 XDR 47.923
Hungary 100 HUF 15.177
Norway 1 NOK 4.592
New Zealand 1 NZD 19.556
Poland 1 PLN 9.072
Greece 100 GRD 11.681
Slovakia 100 SKK 80.742
Slovenia 100 SIT 19.695
Sweden 1 SEK 4.218
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.686
USA 1 USD 35.641
Exchange Rates of countries particpating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 19.398
Belgium 100 BEF 94.051
Finland 1 FIM 6.381
France 1 FRF 5.784
Ireland 1 IEP 48.174
Italy 1000 ITL 19.594
Luxemburg 100 LUF 94.051
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.216
Portugal 100 PTE 18.924
Austria 1 ATS 2.757
Spain 100 ESP 22.802
CULTURE
Romany Festival in Prague
Musical performances by groups from six countries, lectures about
Romany (Gypsy) culture and various seminars were part of the three-day
Romany festival Khamoro (The Sun) May 14-15. Senate Chairwoman Libuse
Benesova and Culture Minister Pavel Dostal were the festival's patrons.
The project was also supported by the Open Society Fund Praha.
Lectures and discussions considering the status of Romanies in the
Czech Republic were held in the Senate both afternoons. Czech and
foreign human-rights activists were among the guests, as well as the
Czech ambassadors of the USA, Canada and some EU countries. An exhibit
of Romany children's drawings exhibit was opened May 14. That evening,
Prague's Comedy Theater and the Roxy club hosted Slovenian singer Saban
Bajramovic, the Russian band Romen and Macedonian singer Esma Rodzep.
Czech singer Vera Bila performed with her band Kale and Czech pop star
Lucie Bila sang with the Slovak group Diabolske husle.
Klara Nedvedova/Zuzana Janeckova
Critics Trash Sobota's Comedy
Premiering May 13, the new Czech movie To Be Unafraid to Steal
(Nebat se a nakrast) did not meet with a positive reaction. Ludek
Sobota, who came up with the movie's idea and who also co-wrote the
screenplay, performs two roles in the movie. The story takes place in
a Czech glass factory and the plot of the movie turns on Sobota's two
characters trading places. Other roles belong to Nada Konvalinkova,
Tatana Medvecka and Vaclav Postranecky, the film is directed by
Frantisek Filip.
According to daily Lidove noviny, Sobota's performances as an
engineer and a television-commercial actor were not convincing. Darina
Krivankova wrote that the weekness of the movie lies in the script,
which tries to offer more entertainment than the film's budget could
handle. She also wrote that, although they tried, the film's creators
did not capture today's reality. Ondrej Stindl wrote that the film is
boring and tiresome.
The filmmakers defended themselves by recalling the tradition of
1930's Czechoslovak comedies. Also, the name of the production company
- Nationalfilm - reflects the filmmakers' intentions.
Ondrej Fer/Zuzana Janeckova
SPORTS
Czech Hockey Players Are World Champions Again after Three Years
The Czech national hockey team won the gold medal in the 64th ice
hockey World Championships. The Czechs lost the second game of the final
series to Finland 1-4 in Lillehammer, Norway, but because they had won
the first game of the two-game series a sudden-death period was
necessary. In the 17th minute of sudden death Jan Hlavac, who plays for
Sparta Praha, scored against Finnish goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.
The trip to a gold was not easy. The Czech team had to overcome
many obstacles and the title is maybe more appreciated than the last one
from Vienna in 1996. The team proved its cohesiveness in the crucial
situations and managed to regain top form immediately after a crushing
loss to Russia in the quarterfinals and after a loss to Canada in the
first game of the semifinals.
After the first game against Canada, the Czechs' chances were
minimal. Two big mistakes led to the 2-1 defeat, although Czech goalie
Milan Hnilicka and his Canadian counterpart Ron Tugnutt played well.
The Czechs started the second game with a will to win and force
sudden death, their only chance to reach the final. Czech fans got
a scare in the 2nd minute when referee Alex Dell allowed Whitney's goal.
After consulting replay, however, he changed his mind. Video was used
again in the 5th minute. The Canadian goal counted this time, as the
puck deflected into the net from Hlavac's skate. The Czechs then tied
the game on a power-play goal by Kubina. Pavel Patera then scored the
second Czech goal after Kubina's from the other end of the ice. In the
second period both teams added one goal, but the last period was
a roller-coaster. In the first three minutes Canada took a 4-3 lead. The
Czechs' Radek Dvorak scored two goals to recapture the lead, and David
Vyborny added an empty-net goal to seal the win.
After a scoreless overtime period, a shootout followed. The first
six players were successful in scoring, including Martin Prochazka,
Martin Rucinsky and Roman Simicek. Czech Coach Ivan Hlinka proved his
tactical abilities, sending Roman Cechmanek to tend goal instead of
Hnilicka. Cechmanek allowed Stillman's goal, but made great saves
against Rob Niedermaier and Jeff Friesen. The Czech's Petr Sykora did
not score, but Jaroslav Spacek's goal put the Czechs in the final
against Finland.
Semifinal series results:
Czech Republic - Canada 1-2 (0-1, 0-1, 1-0) goal: Kubina and 6-4
(2-1, 1-1, 3-2) goals: Dvorak 2, Kubina, Patera, Rucinsky, Vyborny.
Sudden death 0-0, penalties: 4-3.
The evening of May 15 found the Czech team in a good mood. Defender
Frantisek Kaberle skipped through the Finnish defense and surprised
goalkeeper Ari Sulander. Finland played attractive offensive hockey, but
Hnilicka saved 30 of their shots. In the 30th minute Dvorak assisted
Martin Rucinsky for the second Czech goal. Finland scored five minutes
before the end of the game and then pulled their goalkeeper with 102
seconds to go, but Dvorak scored in the empty net, leaving the final
score at 3-1.
The rules of the two-game semifinal and final series meant Finland
had to win May 16, while the Czechs could have won the title with a win
or a tie. Two quick goals by Finland set the tone of the game, and at
the beginning of the second period the Finns added another goal. Viktor
Ujcik scored once for the Czechs, but the game finished with a 4-1
Finland victory.
In sudden death, the Czechs were in control. They attacked
ceaselessly, and with three minutes remaining in the overtime period,
when fans were preparing for another shootout, Jan Hlavac decided the
championship. He tried to get the puck past Miikka Kiprusoff's with
a backhand, but he did not succeed. He then put the deflected puck on
his forehand and scored. The Czech team won the World Championships for
the second time and the celebrations began.
Defender Kubina and forward Rucinsky were named to the
championships' all-star team, Frantisek Kucera was named the best
defenseman of the tournament for the second year on a row.
Results of the final series:
Czech Republic - Finland 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1) goals: Kaberle,
Rucinsky, Dvorak and 1-4 (0-2, 1-1, 0-1) goal: Ujcik. Sudden death:
1-0, goal by Hlavac in the 77th minute.
The Czech Republic squad: Goaltenders: Milan Hnilicka, Roman
Cechmanek, Martin Prusek, defenders: Libor Prochazka, Frantisek Kaberle,
Jiri Vykoukal, Frantisek Kucera, Pavel Kubina, Jaroslav Spacek, Ladislav
Benysek, forwards: David Moravec, Pavel Patera, Martin Prochazka
- Viktor Ujcik, David Vyborny, Jan Hlavac - Radek Dvorak, Petr Sykora,
Martin Rucinsky - Tomas Kucharcik, Roman Simicek, Tomas Vlasak, Roman
Meluzin.
The final World Championships standings: 1. Czech Republic, 2.
Finland, 3. Sweden, 4. Canada, 5. Russia, 6. United States, 7. Slovakia,
8. Switzerland, 9. Belarus, 10. Austria, 11. Latvia, 12. Norway, 13.
Italy, 14. Ukraine, 15. France, 16. Japan.
Tomas Kohout/Mirek Langer
World Championship Victory Sparks Big Celebrations
"It's wonderful, we started to celebrate in the locker-room. Then
we went to dinner with our wives and girlfriends and then we went to
a disco. After that some of us got together in a hotel room and didn't
go to sleep at all," said Pavel Kubina about the hockey team's
celebrations. The party continued on the plane ride home.
The semifinal and final series were dramatic. The decisive shootout
goal in the semifinal series with Canada was converted by defender
Jaroslav Spacek, who celebrated the goal by sitting on ice and paddling
with his stick.
The final goal in the final series with Finland was scored by Jan
Hlavac: "I was not thinking about anything, it was completely dark in
front of my eyes. The boys pounced on me and I started to suffocate.
That kind of a moment can't be described by words. It was the complete
end of the world."
After arriving in Prague, the players took a triumphant trip
through Prague from the airport, as the streets were filled with crowds.
The team held another party that evening at the Prague Fairgrounds
(Vystaviste).
Coach Ivan Hlinka, the lone coach in Czech hockey history to win an
Olympic gold and a World Championship, said in one of the many
interviews he gave while in a state of less than total sobriety: "Let's
stay on the ground, let's not fly in the clouds, let's be normal
people."
Stepan Etrych/Mirek Langer
Soccer League: Sparta Wins Regular-Season Title with Two Rounds to Play
Slavia Praha's 1-1 tie in Olomouc May 17 assured Slavia's biggest
rival and reigning champion Sparta Praha of the best regular-season
record in the Czech soccer league. Sparta won the league for the 26th
time, and in its 28th-round game easily defeated Jablonec 2-0.
A good performance by Teplice, which beat Liberec, moved the
northern-Bohemian team into a second-place tie with Slavia. Because
a second-place finish guarantees a spot in the Champions League
qualifying round, the Slavia-Teplice match in Teplice in the 29th round
will probably be decisive.
Karvina is the first team certain to lose its league membership,
while the second team doomed to relegation is not clear. The space
between the teams at the bottom of the standings decreased again (there
are six points between eighth-place Drnovice and 15th-place Pribram).
Key games between teams threatened by relegation are set for the next
round: Pribram will meet Opava, Zizkov plays against Plzen and Jablonec
against Hradec Kralove.
Results of the 28th round: Plzen - Brno 2-0, Hradec Kralove
- Zizkov 0-1, Sparta Praha - Jablonec 2-0, Karvina - Ostrava 1-3,
Olomouc - Slavia Praha 1-1, Drnovice - Pribram 1-2, Opava - Blsany 1-1,
Liberec - Teplice 0-1.
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 59 points, 2. Teplice 52, 3. Slavia
Praha 52, 4. Olomouc 43, 5. Ostrava 41, 6. Blsany 41, 7. Brno 37, 8.
Drnovice 36, 9. Liberec 34, 10. Zizkov 34, 11. Hradec Kralove 33, 12.
Jablonec 32, 13. Plzen 32, 14. Opava 31, 15. Pribram 30, 16. Karvina 22.
Petr Wilfer/Mirek Langer
Czech Olympic Committee Celebrates 100th Anniversary
One hundred years ago on May 18, 1899, representatives of 11
sporting disciplines met in Chodera's restaurant in the center of
Prague. They were invited by the Czech Amateur Athletic Union to consult
the representation of Czech sport in the Olympic Games in Paris in
1900. Czech sports history says the Czech Olympic Committee (COV) was
founded that day. Leaders of the committee included Jiri
Guth-Jarkovsky, who was a friend of the new-era Olympic games founder
Pierre de Coubertin, and passionate athlete Josef Roessler-Orovsky.
Guth-Jarkovsky was also one of the founders of the Czech Sokol physical
fitness movement and was for a time chief of protocol in the
Czechoslovak republic between the wars.
Members of the COV observed the anniversary at a celebration in the
Carolinum in Prague, recalling that Czech and Czechoslovak athletes have
won 190 medals in the Olympic Games, including 56 golds.
Dozens of Olympic champions listened to committee Chairman Milan
Jirasek's speech. International Olympic Committee Chairman Juan Antonio
Samaranch was also present, and he gave the highest IOC distinction, the
Olympic Order, to former handball player and coach Jiri Vicha.
The IOC and COV delegations were received later by President Vaclav
Havel. Havel said, "it is better to compete than to make war."
Tomas Polacek/Mirek Langer
German Cyclist Wesemann Wins Peace Race
Steffen Wesemann, German member of the Deutsche Telekom pro
cycling team, won the 52nd edition of the Peace Race, which held stages
in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. Wesemann won three stages and
became the third racer to win the race four times (after Poland's
Szurkowski and fellow German Ampler). Latvia's Raimondas Rumsas finished
second and Poland's Tomasz Brozyna third. Czech cyclists were right
behind them: Jan Hruska was fourth and Rene Andrle fifth.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Joyful, so joyful. I am full of happiness, summer has come. While
last week was rather cold and wet, this week we are in the arms of
sunshine. People are happy (must we mention hockey again?).
Marketa Lajdova/Zuzana Janeckova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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