Petr Procházka (born March 26, 1964 in Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Hradec Králové Region of Bohemia. The city's economy is based on food-processing technology, photochemical, and electronics manufacture. Traditional industries include musical instrument manufacturing – the best known being PETROF pianos...

) is a Czechslovak

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

-Czech

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 sprint canoer

Canoe racing

This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....

 who competed from 1982 to 2006.

World junior champion in Belgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

 in 1982, Procházka missed the 1984 Olympics

1984 Summer Olympics

The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...

 because of the Eastern Bloc's boycott but went on to win two medals at the 1987 senior World Championships

1987 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1987 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Duisburg, West Germany for the second time. The West German city hosted the championships previously in 1979....

 in Duisburg

Duisburg

- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...

, West Germany. In the individual C-1 500 m he was the silver medallist. He also won a bronze medal in the C-2 500 m with partner Alan Lohniský. At the 1988 Summer Olympics

Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, twelve events in sprint canoe racing were contested. The program was unchanged from the previous Games in 1984.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:* pp. 336–50. &...

 however he came a disappointing eighth in the C-1 500 m

Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's C-1 500 metres

The men's C-1 500 metres event was an open-style, individual canoeing event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics program.-Medallists:-Heats:...

 and ninth in the C-2 500 m

Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's C-2 500 metres

The men's C-2 500 metres event was an open-style, pairs canoeing event conducted as part of the Canoeing at the 1988 Summer Olympics program.-Medalists:-Heats:17 teams entered in three heats on September 26...

.

Ten years later, at an age when most canoers are contemplating retirement, Procházka was embarking on a remarkable run of victories as a member of the Czech four-man C-4 200 m crew. He won a world championship gold medal in 1998

1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships

The 1998 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Szeged, Hungary.The men's competition consisted of nine Canadian and nine kayak events. Women competed in eight events, all in kayak....

, followed by four European titles (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005). The 200 m, the shortest race distance, was ideal for Procházka, with his great physical strength and excellent technique more than compensating for a natural loss of stamina.

At the age of forty-two, the evergreen Procházka and the C-4 200 m crew finished in fourth place at the 2006 European Championships held in Račice

Racice

Račice is a village in Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic. It is located 8 km northeast of Roudnice nad Labem or 41 km north of Prague and has a population of 308. It is the major rowing and flatwater canoeing venue in the Czech Republic. Račice hosted the 1993 World Rowing...

 (where he now lives) in the Czech Republic. They had lost their European crown, but a month later they finally became world champions in Szeged

Szeged

' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....

, Hungary, an astonishing achievement for Procházka, the oldest competitor at the championships. Procházka would win a total of ten world championship medals in his career.

Nicknamed Čáp ("The Stork"), he is also still a member of the Czech Republic national Dragon boat

Dragon boat

A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...

squad. He is 175cmm (5'9") tall and weighs 85kg (187 lbs).