Czech Republic Wins World Ice Hockey Championship for the First Time in 14 Years
The Czech Republic's national ice hockey team triumphed at the home World Championship. In the final, the hosts defeated Switzerland with a score of 2-0 (0-0, 0-0, 2-0), marking their first world title in 14 years, according to Radio Prague International.
The first two periods were tense and goalless. Midway through the third period, Czech player David Pastrňák broke the deadlock, scoring his first goal of the tournament with a long-distance shot. Less than a minute before the end of the match, David Kämpf doubled the hosts' lead, sparking euphoria on the Czech bench and throughout the packed stadium.
David Pastrňák, the scorer of the first goal, was named the most valuable player of the match, while Czech goalkeeper Lukáš Dostál played a crucial role in his team's success, later being awarded the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
The game was broadcast on large screens in Prague's Old Town Square and other cities across the country, attracting a huge audience. Fans passionately supported their national team on the streets of Czech cities and in numerous pubs.
It is worth noting that the Czech team eliminated the previously unbeaten Swedes in the semi-final with a score of 7-3 (2-2, 3-1, 2-0). In the playoffs, the Czechs also overcame a strong USA team, winning by a narrow margin of 1-0 (0-0, 1-0, 0-0). This victory marks the seventh time the Czech team has won the final of the elite hockey division.
The bronze medallists of the 2024 World Championship were the Swedish players, who defeated Canada 4-2 (1-0, 0-1, 3-1) in the match for third place.
Additionally, The Gaze reported that Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk of the Spanish club Girona scored 24 goals in the current La Liga season, making him the top scorer of the Spanish championship. This achievement is the first since 2004 when a Ukrainian became the top scorer in a European championship. The last Ukrainian to achieve such success was Andriy Shevchenko, who also scored 24 goals in the 2003-2004 season, playing for the Italian club Milan.