The Olympic camp in the spa town of Poděbrady brought together athletes with a clear focus: Paris 2024 and Cortina-Milano 2026. This sports-focused Olympic camp, with conferences and workshops, allowed Czech athletes to immerse themselves in the French atmosphere, relax with spa treatments and build team spirit at the highest level.

They arrived a little reserved and left as friends. "TOP CAMP is an excellent opportunity for athletes to get together in one place before the Olympic Games," said Petr Graclík, Secretary General of the Czech Olympic Committee. The meeting took place at the spa hotel Chariclea in Poděbrady, in the heart of Europe. "We're giving them the space and the atmosphere to meet, share information, experiences, adventures and discover who's who".

"We have two matches coming up relatively soon. And there's hardly any other chance for summer and winter athletes to meet in a pleasant environment where they can do sport, relax and have fun," said Martin Doktor, head of the Olympic mission.

Archery world champion Marie Horáčková, figure skater Eliška Březinová, shooters František Smetana, Barbora Šumová and Martina Kučerová, Nordic combined skier Jiří Konvalinka, snowboarder Vanessa Volopichová, athlete Moira Stewartová and canoeists Martin and Petr Fuchs were among the athletes who took part in the fifth Czech Olympic camp.

"When a figure skater sits next to a rower and a Nordic combined skier, it's a really interesting combination. For me it's important that they discover that the principle of sport is the same everywhere. It doesn't matter whether you're on skates or on your knees in a boat," adds Doktor.

This time, the Czech Olympic team prepared presentations on the rational use of sports supplements and physical training of the brain: Maximum performance through cognitive preparation.

There were also workshops on injury prevention through pre-competition compensation exercises, supervised functional training and the introduction of the Clean Sport app.

Professor Libor Vítek, who coaches several Olympic athletes, explained the importance of being informed about sports supplements. "This is often the difference between athletes who do not control their composition and those who do. The truth is that proper nutrition gives you a competitive advantage. It's extremely important, but it's a 365-day job," he assured.

The athletes enjoyed a variety of sports including golf, archery and canoeing. They also visited the canoeists' workshop and played petanque, creating a lively atmosphere in Nymburk, where they enjoyed a Franco-Italian dinner.

"The combination of the athletes getting information in lectures and workshops, while at the same time doing sports and having fun together, is absolutely great. It's very balanced," said Nikol Kučerová, President of the Athletes' Commission.