Kateřina Neumannová Explained

Kateřina Neumannová
Birth Date:15 February 1973
Birth Place:Písek, Czechoslovakia
Club:TJ Dukla Liberec
Seasons:16 – (19912002, 20042007)
Wins:19
Teamwins:1
Totalpodiums:49
Teampodiums:2
Individual Starts:170
Team Starts:20
Wcoveralls:0 – (2nd in 2005)
Wctitles:0
Show-Medals:no

Kateřina Neumannová (in Czech pronounced as /ˈkatɛr̝ɪna ˈnojmanovaː/) (born 15 February 1973) is a Czech retired cross-country skier. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, in the 30 km freestyle event. She is one of five cross country skiers to have competed at six Olympics.

She was also the first Czech woman to appear in both a Summer and Winter Olympics, having participated in the mountain biking event at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Neumannová retired after the 2006-07 World Cup season.[1]

Career overview

She was a flatwater canoeist and downhill skier before moving to cross country skiing at sixteen. Neumannová made her first appearance in the Winter Olympics in 1992 in Albertville. Her goal was only to gain experience.[2] However, in all races (both individual and relay) she belonged to the best Czechoslovak athletes. Two years later, in Lillehammer, she was already among the best. She was 8th in 5 km classical and 6th in combination with 10 km free.

Her training during summer involved riding mountain bike and when the sport become popular she decided to race in it. Thanks to her strong muscles she quickly achieved successes. In 1995, she won a bronze medal at the European Championships,[3] and she also qualified for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Although cross-country skiing remained her main sport and her summer training was usually lighter she took preparations for Atlanta seriously. "This time I left out the pleasant period and started abruptly. Thanks to it I achieved results in athletic tests that I last run in junior categories,"[4] she said before the Olympics. But her preparations were not in the best conditions. She practised in cold weather in Šumava while great heat was expected for the Atlanta race.[5] On 31 July 1996, she became the first Czech female athlete to compete on both Winter and Summer Olympics when starting in the mountain bike race at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia, United States. But the race itself was a horror for her. She fell off the bike early in the race. "I overrun about 15 racers but then a terrible crisis came upon me. I did not race anymore, I just wanted to finish," she described the race.[6] She mainly complained about the terrible heat and said it was one of her worst experiences.[5]

First major medal

Neumannová started the 1996/1997 season with a fourth place in the World Cup opener. The race took place in Kiruna and was run on 5 km free. Neumannová was content with the result but complained about soft snow she did not like. "If the track was more firm, I believe I would stand on the platform", she commented.[7] [8] At the end of the year she clearly dominated the Czech Championships on 5 km free and 10 km classic. She commented it was mainly training for her as the main goal for the season was World Championships. For it she announced a goal to finish among best six.[9]

Only two weeks later, on 11 and 12 January, she achieved two second places in the World Cup. It was again on the 5 km and 10 km distances, but this time it was 5 km classic and 10 km free. The race was run in Hakuba, Japan on the tracks ready for 1998 Winter Olympics[10] [11]

On 17 February 2005, she won the 10 km free at the Nordic skiing World Championships. Neumannová defended her 10 km free title at the following championships in Sapporo on 27 February 2007.

On 24 February 2006, in her 20th and final Olympic race, Neumannová won her sixth Olympic medal, but first Winter Olympic gold medal in the 30 km freestyle mass start and became the oldest winner in the event.

On 14 January 2007 Neumannová received the title Czech Sportsperson of the Year 2006, a trophy awarded by journalists in the Czech Republic.

2009 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

In late 2006, Neumannová was named an honorary vice president of the organizing committee for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, the Czech Republic. On 25 July 2007, she succeeded Roman Kumpost as chair of the organizing committee for the 2009 championships.[12]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[13]

Olympic Games

 Year  Age  5 km  10 km  15 km  Pursuit  30 km  Sprint  4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
19
21
25
29
33

World Championships

 Year   Age   5 km  10 km  15 km  Pursuit  30 km  Sprint   4 × 5 km 
 relay 
 Team 
 sprint 
20 8 16 5 5
22 11 7 13 8
24 6 Bronze4 5
26 Bronze 7
28 9
32 Gold7 7 6
34 Silver 5

a. Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.

World Cup

Season standings

 Season  Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standings
OverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour de
Ski
18 46
19 19
20 7
21 12
22 14
23 8
24 8
25 15 46 9
26 6 18
27 17 20 18 17
28 9 12
29
31 9821
32 41
33 5
34 24 5

Individual podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlace
1 1992–9312 December 1992 Ramsau, Austria 5 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st
2 1995–96 9 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
34 February 1996 Reit im Winkl, Germany 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
4 1996–97 11 January 1997 Hakuba, Japan 5 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
512 January 1997 10 km Pursuit F World Cup 2nd
621 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway 15 km Individual F World Championships 3rd
78 March 1997 Falun, Sweden 5 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
8 1997–98 22 November 1997 Beitostølen, Norway 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
98 January 1998 Ramsau, Austria 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
109 January 1998 5 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
11 1998–9928 November 1998 Muonio, Finland 5 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
12 12 December 1998 Toblach, Italy 5 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
139 January 1999 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
1422 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria 5 km Individual C World Championships 3rd
159 January 1999 Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
16 1999–00 28 December 1999 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 3rd
17 2000–01 17 December 2000 Brusson, Italy 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
18 10 January 2001 Soldier Hollow, United States5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 1st
19 2001–0225 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 5 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
20 9 December 2001 Cogne, Italy1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 1st
2129 December 2001 Salzburg, Austria 1.5 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd
225 January 2002 Val di Fiemme, Italy 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 3rd
23 6 January 2002 1.5 km Sprint FWorld Cup 1st
2412 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
25 2003–0420 December 2003 Ramsau, Austria 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
26 6 January 2004 Falun, Sweden7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/FWorld Cup 1st
2717 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
28 6 February 2004 La Clusaz, France 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
29 21 February 2004 Umeå, Sweden 10 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st
3013 March 2004 Pragelato, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd
31 2004–0526 November 2004 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
3228 November 2004 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
338 January 2005 Otepää, Estonia 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
34 15 January 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
3522 January 2005 Pragelato, Italy 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
366 March 2005 Lahti, Finland 10 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
3712 March 2005 Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd
3819 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
39 2005–0627 November 2005 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
40 31 December 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
41 14 January 2006 Lago di Tesero, Italy 15 km Mass Start FWorld Cup 1st
4221 January 2006 Oberstdorf, Germany 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 3rd
438 March 2006 Falun, Sweden 5 km + 5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd
4411 March 2006 Oslo, Norway 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd
45 2006–0718 November 2006 Gällivare, Sweden 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
46 7 January 2007 Cavalese, Italy 10 km Individual FStage World Cup 1st
4720 January 2007 Rybinsk, Russia 15 km Mass Start F World Cup 2nd
48 16 February 2007 Changchun, China 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st
4924 March 2007 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km Pursuit C/F World Cup 2nd

Team podiums

No.SeasonDateLocationRaceLevelPlaceTeammate(s)
1 1998–998 March 1999 Vantaa, Finland Team Sprint FWorld Cup 1st Hanušová
2  2006–07 17 December 2006 La Clusaz, France 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Erbenová / Rajdlová / Janečková
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Personal life

On 2 July 2003, Neumannová gave birth to a girl named Lucie.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. FIS Newsflash 122. 11 April 2007.
  2. http://www.olympic.cz/index.php?clanek=4063 Profile on Czech Olympic Committee's webpage
  3. "Neumannová neví, zda bude jezdit", MF Dnes, 10 April 1996 page 23
  4. Original (Czech): "Tentokrát jsem příjemné období vynechala a šla jsem na to rovnou zostra. Díky tomu jsem při atletických testech zaběhla časy, jakých jsem naposledy dosáhla v juniorkách"
  5. "Neumannová se na vedro málem chystala ve sněhu", MF Dnes, 18 July 1996, page 18, available through Web site: MFDNES ON-LINE - nep?ihl?en? U?ivatel . 2006-02-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060523155536/http://mfdnes.newtonit.cz/default.asp?cache=992870 . 23 May 2006 . dmy-all . (registration required)
  6. Original (Czech): "Dojela jsem asi patnáct závodnic, ale pak na mě padla hrozná krize. Už jsem nezávodila, jen jsem se snažila dojet."
  7. Original (Czech): "Kdyby trať byla tvrdší, věřím, že bych stála na stupni vítězů"
  8. (25 November 1996). Neumannová doběhla čtvrtá i na měkkém sněhu. MF DNES p. 13
  9. (30 December 1996). "Neumannová běhala v krutém mrazu suverénně". MFDNES, p. 02
  10. (13 January 1997). "Neumannová zazářila v Japonsku". MF DNES p. 01
  11. (13 January 1997). "Neumannová doběhla v Hakubě dvakrát druhá". MF DNES p. 02
  12. FIS NewsFlash 138. 1 August 2007.
  13. Web site: NEUMANNOVA Katerina . . FIS-Ski . International Ski Federation . 1 January 2020.