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Zátopek is a Czech feature film by director David Ondříček from 2021 about Emil Zátopek and his wife Dana Zátopková. Martha Issová and Václav Neužil starred in the main roles of the Olympians.
Czech Olympic Committee (COC) president Jiří Kejval said the organization was “proud” after the premiere of a film about legendary four-time Olympic gold medalist Emil Zátopek.
Zátopek won in the men’s 10,000 meters and took silver in the 5,000 m at the 1948 Olympics in London, before winning both the 1952 Helsinki event as well as the marathon, which he superbly ran for the first time.
Since then, no athlete has won all three long-distance races at the same Olympics.
Zátopek was the first athlete from the former Czechoslovakia to be awarded the Pierre de Coubertin prize by the International Fair Play Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1975.
Zátopek died at the age of 78 in Prague in November 2000, but in 2012 was inaugurated into the International Association of Athletics Federations, now World Athletics, Hall of Fame.
The film Zátopek has been directed by David Ondříček, and covers some of the key moments in the athlete’s life.
It aired last week (August 20).
Kejval, a member of the International Olympic Committee, is pleased that the new film will share Zátopek’s story.
“Zátopek is arguably the greatest Olympic athlete our country has ever produced and his legacy is felt not only in the Czech Republic but throughout long-distance running,” said the COC President.
“He dominated the sport in its heyday and pioneered the training methods used to this day.
“At COC, we are very proud that Zátopek film online zdarma will tell his inspiring story and raise awareness around the world of how great he is as an Olympian and a human being.
“This film also showcases the power of Olympic values.”
‘Zátopek’: Sports Biopic Sets Pandemic Record At Czech Box Office.
‘Zátopek’ scored over 17 million crowns ($791.5K) in the first frame to record the biggest opening weekend on the market since the start of the pandemic. It was also one of the highest-grossing opening five weeks of all time for the Czech title. In its second session, the film topped the list (despite the arrival of Bábovky cely film) and achieved over 200K receipts and approximately $1.4 million. Scroll down for the trailer.
Despite the number of new films emerging such as Rychle a zběsile 9 online, Sebevražedný oddíl film online, and voyagers film, but the film Zátopek remains faithful to dominate the box office in the Czech Republic.
The plot begins in 1968 – the year of the Prague Spring protests – and charts Zátopek’s relationship with Australian long-distance runner Ron Clarke.
It also includes his relationship with his wife and fellow Olympian Dana Zátopková, who won a gold medal in Helsinki 1952 in the women’s javelin with what was an Olympic throwing record of 50.47 meters, as well as silver in the same event in Rome 1960.
Zátopková’s gold came just minutes after Zátopek won 5,000 yards.
Screenwriter, director and producer Ondříček explained what he expected from the film.
“The film is not educational, there is no fear of heavy stories,” he said.
“My hope is that people will be fascinated by Zátopek’s almost ‘Forrest Gumpesque’ personality and explore his life story, which will captivate them as much as we did the film.”
