Article

Basketball sad. Her fight for a medal at the World Championships was hindered by the weather

Article author

Jaroslav Cícha

Published

July 19, 2026

Reading time

2 min.

Košárková smutní. Boj o medaile na mistrovství světa jí překazilo počasí
EN

Sunday's World Championship program in Brisbane, Australia has been canceled due to inclement weather. The final ranking was thus decided by the results of the last Saturday races, or the times achieved. Czech representative Sabina Košárková clocked the sixth fastest time in them and was therefore classified in sixth place.

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However, she had a hard time coming to terms with this verdict. She believed that she had a chance to fight for medals in direct fights.

"The main goal was to advance on Saturday, and I believed that I had saved the best for Sunday's races. In the quarterfinals, I had to ride again with Latvia, for whom I finished in the qualification. I was really looking forward to it. My starts here went great and I hoped that my bike would ride the track as well as during training," said Sabina Košárková after her performance on Saturday.

She was even more saddened by the final verdict. He knows the track in Brisbane perfectly and considers it almost his home. She spent several months preparing for it in Australia.

"I probably spent the most time on the eight-meter starting ramp and it is one of my favourites. The last straight should have been the key. It is very technical, fast and after the previous three sections really demanding. It was there that the decision should have been made," explained the Czech representative before the race was cancelled.

But the weather decided otherwise and her plans took over.

"It's sad, but we suspected it since the morning. The organizers postponed the start of the program every two hours. But in the end, they probably made the right decision. A strong wind would be really dangerous for the competitors," Košárková acknowledged.

She returned to her Saturday ride once more. "I was driving behind Latvia, but I felt that I was a bit faster. On the third straight I picked up more speed, but in qualifying you save your energy for the decisive runs. I think I could have finished higher. I'm even more sorry that I ended up sixth."

She can still compete in the under-23 women's category next season, but it is not certain whether she will use this opportunity. "It's up to me if I stay in the U23 category or go to the elite. I'm not sure yet, but it looks like this was my last World Cup in this age category," she revealed.

She has spent a total of five to six months in Brisbane over the last few years.

"I know the track really well. I ride it great and I will definitely come back here for the winter training. Now I will stay here for another week, rest and then start preparing for the next World Cup race in Beijing, China at the beginning of October. I will also have the Pump Track World Championships at the same place."

Track cycling will also be part of the training. "I will try to include it in training and see if it will help me move one step further in bicross. I will ride in Prostějov, it is the closest to me. I would like to get to the track approximately twice a week," added Sabina Košárková.