CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC Faculty of Social Science of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz tel: (+420 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+420 2) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 255, Friday, August 1, 1997. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 16 - July 30) Waters Recede, Damages Remain The destructive wave of floods which in recent weeks engulfed Moravia (see Carolina 246) has in large part receded. The number of victims reached 48, and their memory was honored by the nation July 24 with a moment of silence at noon. Residents are gradually returning to their damaged homes - the situation is critical particularly in Otrokovice, where the neighborhoods of Bahnak and Sterkoviste remain under water for a third week despite the constant removal of water. Some people have not been able to withstand the psychological pressure, and July 21 about 100 residents of Otrokovice demonstrated for the second time in front of the city hall. Speeding the tempo of the draining of water is however obstructed by massive lagoons, which have spread out between Otrokovice and nearby Tlumacov (the water in the lagoons would be enough to fill one-fifth of the largest Czech lake, Lake Lipno). Estimates of the damages caused by the "flood of the century" are between 50 billion crowns and 60 billion crowns. Of this sum, about 10 billion crowns will go the apartment fund, about 6 billion for highways, 9 billion for industrial firms, and 11 billion in agricultural losses. Another 10-14 billion crowns represents damages to companies which could not supply products to their contractors or had to stop production. One German insurer which insures a number of Czech insurance companies estimates that their Czech clients will pay out about 23 billion crowns in compensation. Various foundations have raised more that 500 hundred million crowns. The state has set aside about 12.7 billion crowns to cover flood damages. Five billion crowns of this should be provided by the issuing of "flood bonds," and a similar amount will be taken from the National Property Fund. Regional Development Minister Tomas Kvapil said that 72 counties were affected by the flooding, 2,500 homes were destroyed and 20,000 more homes and apartments were damaged. Agricultural Minister Josef Lux (Christian Democrats) gave farmers some good news. "For ruined crops and renovation of fields all afflicted farmers will receive proper financial compensation, and the state will support them with cheap loans," said Lux July 28 to daily MF DNES. Farmers who lost their entire crop to the floods will receive from the state up to 75 per cent of the income they would have received after harvest. Lux said he is sure that such an approach is appropriate. "Unlike other entrepreneurs, farmers are simply dependent upon the land. A shoemaker can theoretically take shoes elswhere, but you cannot move fields. When the waters came, it was 14 days before harvest, and thus the entire year's harvest came to naught. Other entrepreneurs lost at most one month's supply," said Lux. As Lux said before, the remaining harvest should suffice, and the country should not have to purchase abroad. David Vlk/Michael Bluhm, Milan Smid After Invite to NATO, Czechs Receive Ticket to EU Many politicians consider the appraisal made public July 16 by the European Commission, which concludes the Czech Republic will be among the first six new nations with which the commission will discuss membership, as historic a moment as the recent invitation to join NATO. "The government has the impression that the evaluation indicated in the appraisal is very satisfying for the Czech Republic," said Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus July 17 to daily MF DNES. The commission expressed reservations about media and screening (lustration) laws, the position of the Romany (Gypsy) minority and the effectiveness of the courts in the Czech Republic. Countries striving for EU membership are not entirely prepared, according to the appraisal. They should be helped by the new "Marshall Plan," for which the commission hopes to gain finances through reforms called Agenda 2000. David Vlk/Michael Bluhm Tanks-for-Planes Exchange Nixed by Coalition The government narrowly rejected July 23 the sale of hundreds of Czech Army tanks to Algeria. The Defense Ministry was to gain in exchange for the tanks 12 L-39 Czech training aircraft and four long-range radio location systems. The Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), the coalition's smallest member, was strongly against the proposal, as ODA Chairman Michael Zantovsky declared the move would reduce the nation's ability to defend itself. The trade was to be mediated by Omnipol, the former monopoly arms exporter. Defense Minister Miloslav Vyborny (Christian Democrats) took the government's rejection as an expression of distrust in arguments he provided - that the army would increase its attack capabilities by 150 per cent and improve its air force. Vyborny said that until he met with President and Commander-in-Chief Vaclav Havel immediately after the decision, he saw no alternative other than to resign. The president supported Vyborny, and therefore Vyborny changed his mind, despite Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux's threats to leave the coalition. David Vlk/Michael Bluhm Popularity Polls Dominated by Social Democrats The latest poll results on the popularity of politicians in the Czech Republic, published by the Center for Empirical Research July 22: Social Democrat and Parliament Vice Chairwoman Petra Buzkova, 75 per cent approval (76 per cent in June); Social Democrat Parliamentary Club Chairman Stanislav Gross, 64 (62); Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Vice Chairman and Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec, 61 (61); Social Democrat and Parliament Chairman Milos Zeman, 51 (50); Justice Minister Vlasta Parkanova (Civic Democratic Alliance - ODA), 48 (41); SEnate Chairman Petr Pithart, 44 (49); Christian Democrat Chairman and Agricultur Minister Josef Lux, 43 (51); Interior Minister Jan Ruml (ODS), 42 (45); Defense Minster Miloslav Vyborny (Christian Democrats), 41 (44); Environment Minister Jiri Skalicky (ODA), 38 (38). ODS Chairman and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, whose popularity has been falling all year, finished 13th with 31 per cent (34). Ondra Trunecka/Michael Bluhm Social Democrats Lead ODS in Voter Preference Poll by 11 Per Cent The latest results of a poll of voter preference published by the Center for Empirical Research July 16: Social Democrats, 31 per cent (30 per cent in June); Civic Democratic Party (ODS), 19.7 (20.7); Christian Democrats, 11.1 (13); Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, 10.4 (9); Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA), 9.4 (10); Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party, 4.6, although 5 per cent is necessary for representation in Parliament. Ondra Trunecka/Michael Bluhm FROM SLOVAKIA Meciar: US Ambassador Misinforms about Events in Slovakia American ambassador to Slovakia Ralph Johnson is interfering with the internal matters of Slovakia just as the ambassador of the former USSR did in 1968, said Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar July 16 in reaction to Johnson's explanation of Slovakia not recieving an invitation to join NATO. Johnson declared during a speech in Bratislava July 14 that the USA could not support Slovakia because of "alarming antidemocratic development" in two areas: intolerant and unfair treatment with people having opinions different from the government's and the growing centralization of power. Meciar said it is no tragedy that Slovakia was not asked to join in the first wave of NATO expansion. The July NATO summit in Madrid gave Slovakia a two-year postponement. The countries which will join NATO next will not be known till 1999, said Meciar during a discussion program on Slovak Television. Jan Majer/Magdalena Vanova Slovakia Still outside EU Gate Slovakia is the only country among 10 candidates which does not meet political standards necessary to enter the EU, according to the July 16 decision of the European Commission, which evaluated the readiness of individual states for joining. Chairman of the Slovak National Assembly's Foreign Committee Dusan Slobodnik declared the decision is not definitive, which was confirmed by the leader of the EU delegation in Bratislava, Georgios Zavvos. However, he made conditional the resumption of discussions to the immediate acceptance of European norms. "Membership demands that candidate countries have stable institutions which guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect and protection for minorities," said Zavvos to daily Lidove noviny July 17. On Slovak Television, Premier Vladimir Meciar passed off the EU rebuke by saying, "We are not responsible to any other state, to any power." The opposition Democratic Party called for the resignation of the government and for Meciar to leave the politic scene forever. Petr Novak/Magdalena Vanova Blair Offers Help to Meciar British Prime Minister Tony Blair offered Slovakia via a letter adressed to Premier Vladimir Meciar "any help to reach the standard necessary for integration into western structures." In the letter, which Meciar received from the British ambassador to Slovakia, Blair proclaims the importance of security in central Europe and cooperation with Slovakia. "The Alliance has placed high demands of democracy and upholding the law. I am looking forward to the day when Slovakia will be able to join us as a member of NATO and other key western institutions," Blair wrote in the letter. According to the spokesperson of the Slovak government, Blair wanted to show that it was a "misunderstanding" that Slovakia was not invited into NATO and the EU, and the process of their expansion will continue. This interpretation ignores the critical portions of the letter, leftist daily Pravda wrote. Without these parts it would be possible to understand the letter as a friendly pat on the back. Jan Majer/Magdalena Vanova NEWS IN BRIEF * The Slovak Constitutional Court ruled the National Assembly infringed upon constitutional rights by taking the political mandate from Frantisek Gaulieder, a former member of the Premier Vladimir Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia. According to the opposition daily Sme, the Constitutional Court confirmed that today's Assembly is not a legal authority . * The list of the "sleeping" Swiss banks accounts founded during World War II contains the name of Vojtech Tuka. Tuka was the prime minister of the Slovak government during the war, and he represented the wing of the Hlinka's Slovak Peoples' Party, which worked closely with Nazi Germany. Jan Majer/Mirek Langer ECONOMY Japanese Bank Nomura to Gain State Share in IPB The sale of the state's share in the Investment and Postal Bank (IPB, Investicni a postovni banka) to the Japanese financial institution Nomura was approved by the Czech government July 23. IPB will thus become the first of the four largest Czech banks in which the state will give up its share. Through the National Property Fund, the state still owns 31.48 per cent of IPB, and from April a golden share as well, which gives the state special rights. The state also controls IPB shares through the Czech Post Office (4.45 per cent) and the Finance Ministry (0.3 per cent). Through the sale of the shares, at a price of 285 crowns per share, the state will gain 6 billion crowns. The purchase contract also requires Nomura to increase IPB's share capital by at least another 6 billion crowns. The Japanese financial giant probably controls about 10 per cent of the bank through a related Czech company. The firm Nushell recently purchased 9.82 per cent of IPB shares and is one of 20 firns which together own 49.4 per cent of IPB and are supposedly controlled by IPB management. The sale of IPB's shares led to some disharmony in the government coalition, when Christian Democrat Chairman and Agriculture Minister Josef Lux called the sale price into question. "It should be clearly stated that this is not merely the sale of a share in a bank, but also the right for 10 years to use the counters of the Czech Post Office and also control of a number of firms controlled by the bank," said Lux, who does not doubt the one-third share will suffice Nomura for control of IPB. IPB is a universal banking house established in 1994 by the merger of the Investment Bank with the Postal Bank. The bank, which has a share capital of 3.73 billion crowns, finished with net profits of 882 million crowns, which placed it third among domestic banks. Bohdana Rambouskova/Michael Bluhm East West Travel Agency Goes Bankrupt The East West Travel Agency declared bankruptcy July 23, although it promised the 400 clients it had at that date abroad their safe return home. The agency cited the fall of the Czech crown as the reason for bankruptcy. East West owes its partners 27 million crowns, according to daily MF DNES. East West became the third Czech travel agency to declare bankruptcy this summer (see Carolina 254). Bohdana Rambouskova/Michael Bluhm Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from July 31) country currency ----------------------------------------- Australia 1 AUD 25.798 Belgium 100 BEF 91.161 Great Britain 1 GBP 56.322 Denmark 1 DKK 4.945 Finland 1 FIM 6.335 France 1 FRF 5.586 Ireland 1 IEP 50.387 Italy 1000 ITL 19.271 Japan 100 JPY 29.178 Canada 1 CAD 25.013 Luxemburg 100 LUF 91.161 Hungary 100 HUF 17.662 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.708 Norway 1 NOK 4.551 New Zealand 1 NZD 22.562 Poland 1 PLN 9.992 Portugal 100 PTE 18.632 Austria 1 ATS 2.676 Greece 100 GRD 12.030 Slovakia 100 SKK 99.212 Germany 1 DEM 18.830 Spain 100 ESP 22.305 Sweden 1 SEK 4.340 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.741 USA 1 USD 34.607 ECU 1 XEU 37.107 CULTURE Concert to Help Flooded Areas Raises 2 Million A benefit concert with the stars of Czech musicals brought in more than 2 million crowns for areas affected by floods. In Prague's Congress Center, 100 friends and rivals from the musicals Dracula, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Pied Piper and Hair appeared in a program called The Bridge of Hope July 21. The concert was broadcast by TV Prima and Czech Radio. Other artists have also worked to raise money for Moravia. Violinist Jaroslav Sveceny inaugurated a series of concerts in the Nostic Palace called A Week for Moravia. The organizers of the Agharta Prague Jazz Festival in Prague's Lucerna Music Bar gave some profits to the affected regions. Jan Majer/Mirek Langer Gramophone Production Allegedly Made CDs for Neo-Nazis Gramophone Production (Gramofonove zavody) in Lodenice produced compact discs with anti-semitic, neo-Nazi and racist lyrics for the German agency AFK, according to the German weekly Der Spiegel. Eva Tazlerova, state prosecutor in Beroun, ordered police July 22 to investigate. The company distanced itself from the records and stopped production of the German client's records. Jan Majer/Mirek Langer ONE-SENTENCE NEWS * Jiri Majstr and Stanislav Mundil, New York and Washington correspondents of the Czech Press Agency, published a book "about congressmen, Democrats and Republicans, Clinton's cat and Bush's dog and similar necessities." The book's Czech title translates as Washington before Deadline. * The Summer Film School is taking place in Jihlava July 25-August 3, because Uherske Hradiste, the traditional site of the program, was afflicted by floods. Spectators can see 35 films each day. * The new Czecho-Slovak co-produced film Blue Heaven has premiered in Czech cinemas. It stars Zita Kabatova, Emilia Vasaryova and Hungarian actor Janos Ban. Pavel Novak, Jan Majer/Mirek Langer SPORTS Floods Also Afflict Sports Facilities Three first league soccer stadiums were affected by the flooding. Water in Hradec Kralove ascended to the crossbar of the goals, in Kaucuk Opava's stadium floods doomed 16 people to two days of enforced captivity in the upper grandstands. Sigma Olomouc's grass and stadium are seriously damaged and a first round match in Olomouc was postponed. Just in the Zlin, Uherske Hradiste and Kromeriz regions about 60 soccer fields were flooded. Other sports facilities were also damaged. The courts in the arenas of men's basketball champions ICEC Opava and women's handball champions LR Cosmetic Ostrava were wrecked. Also the arena in Otrokovice was flooded. Many tennis and volleyball courts disappeared under water, like the tennis complex in Prerov, where extraleague matches were to be played. Sports organizations began helping the afflicted regions - Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha and the Sazka sports book each gave 1 million crowns. The Jagr Team, made up of top Czech hockey stars (Briza, Beranek, Hamrlik, Nedved and others) has added another match in Hradec Kralove to its schedule and is considering adding one more in Brno. The team is organizing a camp for children from afflicted regions, led by players' wives. SOCCER Brno and Jablonec Advance in UEFA Cup Jablonec commenced its UEFA Cup matches successfully by defeating Karabakh Agdam of Azerbaijan after a strong beginning 5-0 in Jablonec July 23. They won mostly thanks to quick combinations on the ground. Goals: Holub 2, Neumann 2 and Hromadko. On the contrary, Brno failed in its first UEFA Cup match. The Moravian players also grabbed an early lead, as Holomek scored in the fifth minute, but the home team Inkaras Kaunas of Lithuania won the match 3-1 with goals scored by Pribyl (a Czech who scored into the Czechs' own goal), Shlekys and Rudjionis. The rematches were played after the Carolina deadline July 30 with these results: Brno - Kaunas 6-1, Karabakh - Jablonec 0-3. Sparta Praha, the Czech champion, will enter the Champions League in the second pre-round, heading to Casino Salzburg. The Austrian team is very good, having won three consecutive Austrian titles through this year and in 1994 making the UEFA Cup final. Sparta starts the series on the Salzburg field August 13 with the rematch set for August 27. Slovak teams' schedule and results: Champions League first pre-round: 1. FC Kosice - IA Akranes (Iceland) 3-0 and 1-0, Kosice advances. Cup Winners Cup pre-round: Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) - Slovan Bratislava. UEFA Cup first preround: Birkirkara (Malta) - Trnava 0-1 and 1-3, Trnava advances. Player Transactions in Czech Soccer League * Soccer's first league will start its season the weekend of August 3. The first round schedule: Ostrava - Dukla, Drnovice - Slavia Praha, Opava - Liberec, Brno - Bohdanec, Hradec Kralove - Ceske Budejovice, Jablonec - Zizkov, Sparta Praha - Plzen, Olomouc - Teplice. The intracity derby between Sparta and Slavia will be played in the sixth round in the middle of September. * These are the biggest player transactions in the first soccer league this summer: Sparta Praha player Martin Frydek goes to Germany's Leverkusen, Pavel Novotny leaves Slavia Praha for Germany's Wolfsburg. Slavia Praha player Daniel Smejkal already started preparation in the German second league's Nuremberg, where he became a fan favorite, according to the Czech newspapers. Vaclav Nemecek returns to the Czech league, as the former national team captain will play in Sparta Praha again. Goalkeeper Petr Kouba, who did not play after he had been traded by Sparta to Spain's La Corunya, will wear the German 1. FC Kaiserslautern club's colors next year. In Kaiserslautern, Miroslav Kadlec and Pavel Kuka already play. * New member of the first soccer league Dukla Praha, which advanced from the second league, renamed itself FC Dukla and will play its home matches in the stadium in the city of Pribram. * TV NOVA bought broadcasting rights for the first league again, this time for the next two years. Initially, cable television had to broadcast the soccer, but the Nethold company withdrew from its contract after cutting its business ties with the Czech Republic. * Former soccer player Miroslav Wieczek, 65, the best Czech scorer after World War II, died in Ostrava. He scored 174 goals. TRACK AND FIELD Juniors European Championships Bring Seven Medals for Czech Republic Czech athletes got seven medals in the European under-23 championships in Turku, Finland July 12-13. Hana Benesova got three medals and became the most successful athlete of the championships. She won the 200 meters in a fantastic time of 22.57 seconds, she took the silver in the 400 meters and the bronze from the 4x400-meter relay. Suldesova led the 1,500 meters from start to finish and Soucek won the third gold, breaking the Czech record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 49.08 seconds. The next two medals were the men's 4x400 meters relay's silver and pole jumper Spacek's bronze. Rain Washes away Some of Czech Championships Rain bothered the Czech Republic Championships in Trinec July 5-6, forcing the cancelation of the men's high jump. Daniela Bartova's European record in the pole jump (433 centimeters) was the best performance of the weekend. "I don't mind rain. The only difference is I don't comb my hair and use makeup before the competition," Bartova said after her success. Her record has already been broken by Ukraine's Babakhanova. Nominees for the World Championships in Athens Benesova (400 meters and 4x400 meters), Formanova (800 meters and 4x400 meters), Fuchsova (400 meters and 4x400 meters), Kostovalova (4x400 meters), Suldesova (1500 meters), Rudova (100 meters hurdles), Kasparkova (triple jump), Kovacikova (high jump), Tomeckova (javelin), Matejkova (discus), Slehobr (100 meters and 200 meters), Stejfa (4x400 meters), Podebradsky (4x400 meters), Svebej (4x400 meters), Soukup (800 meters), Vydra (800 meters), Soucek (400 meters hurdles and 4x400 meters), Muzik (400 meters hurdles a 4x400 meters), David (marathon), Holusa (20 kilometers walk), J. Janku (high jump), T. Janku (high jump), Zelezny (javelin), Menc (shot put), Malina (discus), Sedlacek (hammer), Maska (hammer), Dvorak (decathlon), Zmelik (decathlon), Sebrle (decathlon). * Jan Zelezny July 4 won the javelin in the first "Golden Four" meeting in Oslo on his fifth attempt of 88.46 meters. In Stockholm July 8 he lost to Germany's Henry. * Sarka Kasparkova won the triple jump in the Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne July 7, and she leads the overall Grand Prix standings. * Lukas Vydra broke Josef Odlozil's 22-year-old Czech 1,000 meters record in Lille, France July 7. * Ukrainian Sergei Bubka won the pole vaulters' exhibition in Prostejov's town square July 11, jumping over 580 centimeters, Kysela jumped 40 centimeters less. Bartova won the women's competition, though her 435 centimeters cannot became the European record because of the irregular runway. * Roman Oravec got the only medal for the Czech national team in the European juniors' championships in Lublan, Slovenia. He finished third in the 800 meters. TENNIS Novotna Has No Grand Slam Title after Wimbledon Jana Novotna defeated Arancha Sanchez-Vicario (Spain) in the semifinal of this year's Wimbledon and in the final July 5 met Martina Hingis from Switzerland. After some excellent play she won the first set 6-2, but then she did fell behind her 12-years younger opponent. She lost 6-2, 3-6, 3-6. She remains the last top tennis player in thr world who has not won a Grand Slam title. She was closest to it in the 1993 Wimbledon final, playing against Germany's Steffi Graf and leading 4-1 and 40-30 in the third set. Novotna now advanced to second in the WTA ranking, just behind Hingis. Helena Sukova and Cyril Suk won the mixed doubles' final July 6, defeating Neiland (Latvia) and Olkhovsky (Russia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Sukova has 12 Grand Slam titles from doubles. Other results: Chladkova lost to Hingis 3-6, 2-6 in the quarterfinal July 2, Sukova lost to Kournikova (Russia) 6-2, 2-6, 3-6 in the fourth round July 1. Petr Korda lost to Sampras (USA) 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6 in the fourth round July 2. Sukova with Neiland (Latvia) lost to Arendt (USA) and Bollegraf (Netherlands) 2-6, 6-3, 1-6 in the doubles' semifinal July 5. Damm and Vizner lost to Haarhuis and Eltingh (both Netherlands) 2-6, 2-6, 4-6 in the doubles' semifinal July 5. One Little Step Missing for Advance to Fed Cup Final The women's KB Fed Cup, analogous to the men's Davis Cup, escaped the Czech Republic by only one point in the semifinals against the Netherlands, played in the Prague tennis center in Stvanice July 12-13. The magical match point was lost by Gersi, and the Dutch will play the final against France. Sandra Kleinova lost the first match against the experienced Schultz-McCarthy 1-6, 6-7, but then Jana Novotna won two matches (against Oremans 6-3, 6-0 and Schultz-McCarthy 7-6, 6-3). Adriana Gersi then played an exciting match against Oremans as the ill Kleinova could not start. Gersi foiled three of her opponent's match points (6-1, 2-6, 4-5) and when the score was 7-6 she had four chances to win. Then, after two and half hours of play, she was affected by cramps and Oremans evened the match score to 2-2 with the 9-7 third set victory. A dramatic, two-set doubles match between Eva Martincova and Novotna against Bollegraf and Oremans finished 4-6 and 6-7. Slovakia (Habsudova, Nagyova, Studenikova) defeated Canada 5-0 and will play in the first zone next year. South Africa's Kruger Wins WTA Championships in Prague After a July 20 win in semifinal and final, South African Joanette Kruger won the Skoda Czech Open on Prague's Stvanice tennis courts. She defeated Austrian Marion Maruska 6-1, 6-1 in the final. The Czech Republic's Richterova defeated Dragomir of Romania, the number 2 seed, but she was shut out in the quarterfinal like Chladkova, while Bobkova's tournament ended in the second round; for seven other Czechs, the end came in the first round. Dragomir and Habsudova (Slovakia) won the doubles title after a finals win over Martincova and Vildova (both Czechs) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. Jana Novotna canceled out before the Fed Cup semifinal due to injury. * The Czech juniors' team of Tabara, Kralert and Stepanek lost the final match of the Galea Cup to France. The team competition of under-18 tennis players took place in Royan, France. Also, the girls' team of Schonfeldova, Pastikova and Hubnerova finished second in their Soisbault Cup in Lerida, Spain, behind France. * Gstaad, doubles' final: Vacek (CR), Kafelnikov (Russia) - Kronemann (USA), MacPherson (Australia) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. * Stuttgart, final: Kucera (Slovakia) - Corretja (Spain) 2-6, 5-7. * Washington, final: Korda (CR) - Chang (USA) 7-5, 2-6, 1-6. Korda, after this success, advanced to 16th place in the ATP rankings. CANOE AND KAYAK Martin Doktor Enters History as One of First European Champions The top Czech athlete of 1996 and two-time Olympic champion from Atlanta Martin Doktor got one gold and one silver in the first-ever flat water European Championships, which took place in Bulgaria's Plovdiv in the first week of July. He won the canoe singles one kilometer race, and in the half-race he finished second, losing to Bukhalov from Bulgaria. Slovakia's Knazovicky won the non-olympic 200 meters race, Doktor finished fourth. The men's canoe foursome of Prochazka, Fuksa, Bednar and Krivanek completed the Czech Republic's collection of three medals with their bronze from the 200-meter race, behind Russia and Slovakia. * Martin Doktor won the World Cup when he won all three finals in Poznan, Poland July 12-13. It was the penultimate test before the World Championships in Canada in August. SWIMMING Yvetta Hlavacova Wins Five Czech Titles The Czech Republic championships, the last chance to get to the European Championships in Seville, took place July 5-6 in the Podoli pool in Prague. Yvetta Hlavacova and Lenka Manhalova each took three titles, while Hlavacova broke the Czech record in the 100-meter butterfly (1:02.43). In the long distances swimming championships in Racice July 19-20, Hlavacova won two more titles. BRIEFS * SOFTBALL - The Italian women won the European Championships in Prague, the Netherlands finished second and the Czech Republic third, with the finals taking place July 4-6. * SHOOTING - Petr Kurka won the bronze medal in the European Championships in Copenhagen. * TRIATHLON - Martin Matula finished 19 seconds behind the bronze in the European Championships in Finland's Vuokatti July 5. He finished fifth, Rehula seventh. Renata Berkova finished 17th among the women, while senior Oklestak won the bronze and junior Bejstova the silver medal. * TRIATHLON - Martin Matula and Renata Berkova became the Czech Republic's champions in Karlovy Vary July 7. * ROWING - Czech rowers won two medals in the famous regatta in Lucerne. The Czech men's coxed four won, Kacovsky (lightweight single skull) finished third. Vaclav Chalupa in his single skull finished fourth behind the winner, the Slovenian Cop. * CYCLING - Pavel Padrnos, the only Czech in the Tour de France, withdrew during the ninth stage . * MOTORING - Milan Dolak, in a Toyota, won the Bohemia Rallye July 11-12 and strengthened his lead in the Czech championships. Triner, in a Skoda Felicia, finished second and Gargulak, in a Mitsubishi, third. * MOTORING - Jaroslav Hules is 20th in the world championship standings of road motorcycling after the German Grand Prix. * BASKETBALL - Jan Bobrovsky, coach of Zabovresky, became the new coach of the Czech women's national team. He replaced Jan Karger, who withdrew after the team's failure in the European Championships. * RIDING SPORTS - The German horse Lonango won the Slovak Derby in Bratislava July 23, while Czech Derby winner Nora Jeane finished second. * HANDICAPPED SPORT - Seventeen-year-old track and field athlete Tereza Wagnerova became the most succesful athlete of the World Deaf Games in Copenhagen. He was first in the polyathlon and the triple jump, second in the high jump and fifth in the javelin. Sports supplement prepared and translated by Mirek Langer WEATHER This year's summer is no good. The holidays' first half is ending and it was warm enough to go swimming only a few times. Recent days of sunny skies and temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit promise that a true vacation is yet to come. Mirek Langer English version edited by Michael Bluhm Carolina is published in summer every second week. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them please to the address: CAROLINA@cuni.cz To subscribe to CAROLINA news you send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz The text of message for subscription of the English version must be: SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name or for the Czech version SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name To delete your subscription from the list of subscribers you send the following message to the address LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz: SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. 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