Tomáš Dvořák, Czech decathlete and coach
Tomáš Dvořák (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈdvor̝aːk]), born 11 May 1972 in Gottwaldov (now Zlín), Czechoslovakia, is an athlete from the Czech Republic. He competed in the decathlon and heptathlon for the team Dukla Prague. He is a three-time decathlon world champion (1997, 1999, 2001) and a former world record holder (8,994 points scored in Prague, 1999), which is still the fifth best performance of all-time. This record was broken by Dvořák's compatriot Roman Šebrle in 2001. Dvořák is the only athlete to score over 8,900 points three times.
Dvořák announced his retirement in July 2008, after he failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. He now works as an athletic coach.
1972May, 11
Tomáš Dvořák
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Events on 1972
- 21Feb
Sino-American relations
United States President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations. - 8May
Richard Nixon
Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his order to place mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation. - 22May
Sri Lanka
Ceylon adopts a new constitution, becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. - 23Jun
Central Intelligence Agency
Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the Central Intelligence Agency to obstruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into the Watergate break-ins. - 1Sep
Bobby Fischer
In Reykjavík, Iceland, American Bobby Fischer beats Russian Boris Spassky to become the world chess champion.