Tomas Hasek and David Rydl in dual role as athletes and Czech sports officials

Berchtesgaden (FIL/28 June 2024) During the 72nd FIL Congress in Lake Placid (USA), we had the opportunity to talk to the two natural track athletes from Czechia, Tomas Hasek, who is also the President of the Czech Luge Federation (CMSA), and his doubles partner David Rydl, who is the Secretary General of the CMSA (Ceskomoravska Sankarska Asociace).

David and Tomas, we want to get to know you better. Where do you come from and where do you live in Czechia if you are a natural track luge athlete?

Tomas: "Okay, let's drive through Czechia. I live in a small town called Tanvald in the north of our country. Not far from my hometown is our federation office in Smržovka, the town with the last "usable" concrete artificial luge track in Czechia. I'm still studying. Last year I completed two master's degrees in Italy and Czechia, followed by a doctoral program at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague."

David: "Tomas lives east of our federation office, while I live in a city in the west, in Jablonec nad Nisou. So you could say that Smrzovka is our center that connects us. I graduated last year. I studied Marketing and International Trade at the Technical University in Liberec. After that, I took a few months off, and during that time the former president of our federation approached me to ask if I would be interested in working for our federation. Since luge is my passion, I accepted the job.”

What do you do when you're not training or working for luge?

Tomas: "I spend most of my time in the laboratory and in the office."

David: "I work for our federation and annoy Tomas on the phone when he's in the lab and I need help with my work. Otherwise, I spend most of my time outside of work with my family and friends."

What other hobbies do you have?

Tomas: "I love hiking, cycling and, of course, traveling. As for passive hobbies, it's reading books."

David: "I think I have the same hobbies as Tomas mentioned. Maybe I could add indoor climbing, which I do at least once a week with my friends."

When did you start luge?

Tomas: "That's a good question. I started in high school when Matteo Clara and Patrick Pigneter came to our region to show us the "new" sport together with former coach Tomáš Perun. So let's count the years. The 2024/2025 season should be my eighth."

David: "I started in the same year as Tomas, but I missed my first season of racing because of school. I regret that a little now, because it could be another great year of racing, for which I have less and less time every year."

At the 2023 World Championships, you took sixth place together in the doubles. Congratulations!!!! That's a great success, the biggest so far for you?

Tomas: "Yes, it is. We can say that it was phenomenal for us."

David: "Yes, sixth place at the World Championships, that sounds really good."

How proud are you of that?

Tomas: "But now the truth. How many doubles were at the start? You know, when David and I started, there were more than 14 duos, but today we are sad, there are fewer every year."

David: "We both think that this discipline in natural track luge is completely different and in its own way more extraordinary than the individual sport. That's why we are sad about the number of participants, but we believe that it will improve and that we will be able to compete with a larger number of competitors again in the future."

What are your plans for the future?

Tomas: "I would like to try to revive the sport of luge in Czechia."

David: "Tomas has set the bar very high now. I don't know if I can surpass it. But yes, I think that is our overall goal for luge in Czechia. I would like us both to be able to leave this sport one day knowing that it will continue to grow and flourish."

What is your greatest wish or dream in life?

Tomas: "That changes constantly in life. My dream as president of our federation is to attract as many athletes as possible to our sport. I am thinking of both specializations - natural and artificial track."

David: "I think I see my dream of luge the same way as Tomas. As for my personal dream, it's probably nothing special, it's more about my happiness and doing what I enjoy in life."

How often do you train per week?

Tomas: "Due to our association duties, university and, of course, our lives and the long distances between us, it's less than it used to be. But we try to do our best and have our own training at least twice a week."

David: "Yes, we used to train more than we do now. And the distance between us doesn't exactly help either."

How many days do you have to train on the ice in winter?

Tomas: "That's an easy question. Not many! We don't have a rink in Czechia, so we have to rely on rinks abroad, which is the biggest challenge for our team. We also have to take into account our budget, which gets smaller every year."

David: "Tomas has put it right. Unfortunately, this means that we have fewer training runs in winter due to the lack of time. It is all the more difficult to keep up with other athletes."

How many competitions do you take part in during the season?

Tomas: "Thanks to our jobs, we were able to participate in two World Cups and one World Championship. The situation is not as rosy as we would have liked, and it was our first season with David, in which we paid the costs ourselves and not the federation."

David: "Tomas has said everything."

Why did you take on the role of president and secretary general of the Czech Luge Federation?

Tomas: "Good question. I ask myself that every morning when I wake up. A brief introduction. When we were athletes, and I hope we still are, the relationship between us and the federation was not the best, but it was not the worst either. Two years ago, the long-standing president did not run for office again. We got a new president and I became vice president, but he had to resign for health reasons. So there was a new election, with only one candidate, who was not interested in our sport, but only in the money of the federation, which is not as big as in other countries. This person also treated others with disrespect, and that was the reason why my club submitted a list of candidates with my name on it. We, David and I, are not the best and we know that. On the other hand, this is the first year in the office of the president and at least we fulfill all the tasks more decently than the previous representatives."

David: "As I said, I got this offer from our previous president and I thought, why not, I love luge. But sometimes I wonder if I should have taken the job. There are days when you just want to walk away, but other days you are happy to be part of the luge family. As Tomas said, we may not be the best candidates for the job, we still want to be full-time athletes, but we do it responsibly and we do it for the sport, not for ourselves.”

When were you elected president, Tomas?

Tomas: "That was in May 2023. I became the youngest president in the history of the sport of luge, because I was 24 years old."

David: "I took up my job in March 2023."

How much time do these positions take up?

Tomas: "After waking up, I see more and more wrinkles on my forehead, so we did not expect it to be so hard and painful. In the first year, we had a lot of problems with our national team, but also with the National Sports Agency, which made a "revolution" in sports funding that did not exist before. So there is still a lot to do even after the election, and the problems will not go away."

David: "Sometimes it can be very time-consuming. In this work, it doesn't matter whether it's a weekday or a weekend. The work has to be done, and usually we do it together. On the other hand, there are also days when nobody needs anything, everything is done and there is no need to stress at all. But as Tomas said, there is still a lot to do, and it takes much more time when you do it together."

What are the main tasks?

Tomas: "Survival. Basically. We try to get more money from the state to at least invest in our athletes and sports equipment, because it's not enough to build tracks."

David: "You also have to constantly communicate with interested parties. Whether it's other organizations or people from our association. Everyone wants something, and you try your best to satisfy them. But it's about survival, we don't have any money to give away."

Do you have an association office? Or do you work from home?

Tomas: "Yes, we do. The office is in the small town of Smrzovka."
David: "It's a small office, but it works."

What have you always wanted to tell the world?

Tomas: "Respect others without prejudice!"
David: "Hm... Calm down and think first, then act."

What is the most unusual thing about you?

Tomas: "I try to help everyone whenever I can."

David: "People around me usually think that I go sledding in the summer when there is no snow, but I personally would say that I don't feel unusual. Maybe it's more interesting than unusual, but two years ago I broke my fibula at the beginning of the season and I still raced and finished the season, I guess I'm stubborn. And I hate winter, I never understood why I chose a winter sport as my main sport. I think I really like luge.”

How would you describe each other?

Tomas: "Olala. The last question seems to be the most difficult. David, can you help me with your description? No, you know, we have spent so much time together, especially in the winter months, that you could write it as a trilogy. But the short answer is that he is an old boy, two years older than me, still a little boy according to my mother. Hard-working when he has to be, but sometimes stubborn and lazy. And he is the biggest thief in the world. Because he stole my identity. I'm no longer the blond Czech boy with long hair."

David: "Thanks Tomas, but I think I have to agree with everything you just said. So how would I describe you? Tomas is one of the funniest guys I've ever met, you can rely on him, but he also has his dark sides. I have the impression that he is constantly spending money as much as he can! But seriously. Sometimes he gets into an argument with someone, and when he does, he never gives in and can get quite aggressive. But he's still a great friend and I can't imagine being in a doubles with anyone else."

Thank you very much for the interview!