Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Olomouc, CZE |
Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
TJ Dukla Olomouc: Czech Republic |
General Interest |
Famous relatives |
His grandfather Jaroslav Jurka represented Czechoslovakia in fencing at the Olympic Games in 1976 and 1980. His father Tomas Jurka also competed in the sport. His younger sister Hana has competed in the sport at national level. (olkraj.cz, 29 Jun 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 11 Jul 2018; idnes.cz, 28 Apr 2017) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
The sport is popular in his family. He was encouraged to start fencing by his father and his grandfather, although his mother hoped he would take up another sport instead. |
General Interest |
Hero / Idol |
Czech fencers Jaroslav Jurka [his grandfather], Martin Rubes, and Jiri Beran. (idnes.cz, 28 Apr 2017) |
Sport Specific Information |
Handedness |
Left |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
He began fencing in 2006. |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Athlete, Businessperson, Consultant |
Languages |
Czech, English |
General Interest |
Nicknames |
Sampion (Facebook profile, 25 May 2018) |
Injuries |
He injured his hand at the 2021 World Cup event in Bern, Switzerland, and was unable to train or compete for several weeks. (olomouc.rozhlas.cz, 26 Dec 2021)
In 2019 he sustained a herniated disc in his back. (olympijskytym.cz, 25 Jul 2021)
An injury to his Achilles affected his performance at the 2018 European Junior Championships in Sochi, Russian Federation. (idnes.cz, 11 Jan 2019) |
Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Physical Education - Palacky University Olomouc: Czech Republic |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Tomas Jurka [father], CZE |
General Interest |
Hobbies |
Travel, hiking, cycling. (Facebook profile, 07 Mar 2022) |
Awards and honours |
In 2022 he was named Best Athlete of Olomouc in the Czech Republic. (olomouc.eu, 16 Mar 2022) |
Sporting philosophy / motto |
"The cups will be covered with dust, but the memories will remain. Only a real winner can win, only a real winner can lose and stand up again." (olympijskytym.cz, 23 Jul 2021) |
Ambitions |
To win a medal at the Olympic Games. (Instagram profile, 28 Feb 2023) |
Other information |
OCCUPATION He runs a marketing company in the Czech Republic. He has also worked as a consultant at Impuls Zdravi health and fitness centre. "Marketing is a very flexible job. We have an office in Olomouc and in Prague. It can be managed from anywhere in the world. Even with fencing, it's all about managing priorities." (idnes.cz, 27 Feb 2023) |