Zdeněk Měšťan

* 1944

  • "It used to be that you could ride without any equipment. No helmets, no life jackets. Well, only then - for some selected races like Lipno, it had to be there. Well, that was a problem to get, too. There was no such thing, so they did all sorts of things. Inflatable balloons were put in some bags and stuff, helmets were just bicycle helmets and stuff. And in the normal races, you went without everything."

  • "I just wanted to ask about doping. I know that under communism or during the Cold War..." - "Like this, before the Olympics, right... The doctors were taking care of us, they gave us some vitamins - they called it, but what it was, I don't know." - "Did you have any idea?" - "Well, we suspected there might be something. Because the East Germans, they were very sophisticated. They went at it a lot. But nobody will tell you that and... We took vitamins, well. What was it..." - "Did you feel anything?" - "Not really. I didn't feel anything."

  • Witness: 'No one from the sports tour ever emigrated. They always prepared an impuls, and then they went on a tour with Cedok or something, and they stayed there." Interviewer: "Any sportsmen?" Witness: "Athletes, yes. Well, a lot of people emigrated from here to there afterwards." Witness's brother: "Karel Třešňák." Witness: "But it was never with athletes. It was always on a private trip."

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    Bechyně, 04.04.2019

    (audio)
    duration: 51:25
    media recorded in project The Stories of Our Neigbours
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In water slalom you have to think, and doping could affect that

Zdeněk Měšt'an
Zdeněk Měšt'an
photo: Zdeněk Měšt'an

Zdeněk Měšt’an was born as a second-born son on 31 May 1944 in Ostrava. His father, who founded a boating club in the formerly tramp village of Děhylov, introduced him to boating. As a teenager, he started canoeing competitively. He trained as a turner, but never took up this work. After completing his military service in Bechyně, he worked for ten years in the Czechoslovak People’s Army as a sports instructor. At the World Championships in 1965 his team won two gold medals in the water slalom and in the wild river run. In 1972, he competed with the national team at the Munich Olympics, the team finishing in 16th place. After the Olympics, he competed for some time outside the national team. He then worked in a brickyard for 20 years. He is still canoeing today (2019).