| Czech Republic at the 2012 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | CZE |
| NOC | Czech Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| in London | |
| Competitors | 133 in 19 sports |
| Flag bearers | Petr Koukal (opening) Barbora Špotáková (closing) |
| Medals Ranked 19th |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
 Bohemia (1900–1912) Czechoslovakia (1924–1992) | |
Czech Republic competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics after gaining its independence from the former Czechoslovakia. The Czech Olympic Committee sent a total of 133 athletes to the Games, 68 men and 65 women, to compete in 19 sports.
Czech Republic left London with a total of 11 medals (4 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze),[1][2] the same total achieved in Atlanta. This was in stark contrast with the zero medal tally of the neighbouring Austria, a nation of roughly comparable size. Finishing the nineteenth position in the medal standings was the second best performance for the Czech Republic in the post-Czechoslovak era.
Among the nation's medalists were Barbora Špotáková, who successfully defended her Olympic title in women's javelin throw, and rower Ondřej Synek, who managed to repeat his silver medal in men's single sculls. Three Czech athletes won Olympic gold medals for the first time in history: single sculls rower Miroslava Knapková, modern pentathlete David Svoboda, and mountain biker Jaroslav Kulhavý. Several Czech athletes, however, missed out of medal standings in the finals, including rifle shooter and defending champion Kateřina Emmons, and javelin thrower Vítězslav Veselý.
For the first time in its history, the Czech House (located in the Business Design Centre in borough of Islington) had become accessible to the public (i.e. not only the team members and VIPs), attracting over 78,000 visitors during the Olympics. In a brief comparison of selected national centres, AP news agency even awarded this project an imaginary "gold medal".[3] A moving sculpture by David Černý named London Booster (a life-sized London double-decker bus doing push-ups with humanoid arms)[4] was a major feature outside the Czech House. Meanwhile, Czech presentation relied heavily on eccentricity. For example, the official outfit, in which Czech athletes paraded during the opening ceremonies (and some also entered podiums), featured bright blue Wellington boots (a joke on the stereotypically unstable British weather).[3][5]
- ^ Pavlík, Jaromír (14 August 2012). "One of the Czech Republic's most successful Olympic teams back home". Czech Radio. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ^ Volynsky, Masha (13 August 2012). "Czech Olympic success measured not only in gold". Czech Radio. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ^ a b Lawless, Jill (2 August 2012). "Olympic houses turn London into global party". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ A London Booster photo on Flickr
- ^ Crane, Jonathan (8 August 2012). "Czech House in London draws Olympic crowds". Prague Post. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.