Teenage speed skater wins Czechia's second gold at 2026 Winter Games

Czech speed skater Metoděj Jílek secured his first Olympic gold on Friday, winning the 10,000-meter race at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan. The 19-year-old followed up a silver medal from his Olympic debut earlier this week in the 5,000-meter event.

Jílek celebrated with Czech fans at the oval, running barefoot across the ice after crossing the finish line. “There were so many Czech supporters, I didn’t expect that,” he said, visibly emotional.

The victory gives Czechia its second gold at these Games, adding to the medal won by snowboarder Zuzana Maderová in the parallel giant slalom. Eva Adamczyková added a silver in the snowboard cross event on Friday, bringing Czechia's medal tally up to four, good enough for 11th in the overall medal table.

Jílek, who has excelled in World Cup long-distance events this season, finished the 10,000 meters in 12:33.43, beating 23-year-old Polish skater Vladimir Semirunny by 5.65 seconds. Dutch veteran Jorrit Bergsma, 40, took bronze.

Trained by New Zealand coach Kalon Dobbin, Jílek set a fast pace early and briefly threatened the Olympic record set by Nils van der Poel in Beijing, finishing just 2.69 seconds shy. His performance was unchallenged by rivals, including Norway’s Sander Eitrem and France’s Timothy Loubineaud.

Jílek aims for a third medal in the mass-start race, where he has also found success in the World Cup this season after transitioning from inline skating.

Three-time Olympic champion Martina Sáblíková, competing in her likely final Games at 38, praised Jílek as “almost unique” and said he had already taken over as Czechia’s top speed skater. “He went for the gold and fully deserved it,” Sáblíková said, recalling how she watched him cross the finish line.

President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš congratulated Jílek on social media. “Metoděj Jílek takes over the baton from Martina Sáblíková and brings home his second medal. Thank you for representing the Czech Republic so well,” Pavel wrote. Babiš added, “Another phenomenal performance by Metoděj Jílek, who takes the most valuable medal after silver.”

Minister for Sport Boris Šťastný called Jílek’s victory “the birth of a champion,” while Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar and the Czech Police joined in online congratulations. Jílek trains at the Ministry of the Interior’s Olymp Sports Centre.

Jílek’s gold adds to Czechia’s growing medal count in Milan and Cortina, alongside snowboarder Zuzana Maderová’s win and snowboard cross silver by Eva Adamczyková, who completed her Olympic medal collection from Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.

Opposition politicians also praised both athletes, calling their performances “incredible” and “fabulous.”

As the Games continue, all eyes are on Jílek for a potential third medal, confirming him as one of Czechia's top winter sports athletes. He will next compete in the 1500m (Feb. 19 at 4:30 p.m.) and the mass start (Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.) events.