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The Czech Republic clinched its fifth medal at the Winter Olympic Games on Monday through Gabriela Soukalová, who won silver in the biathlon women’s 12.5 kilometre mass start. Soukalová finished with a time of 35:45.8, some twenty seconds behind Belarusian Darya Domracheva. Norway’s Tiril Eckhoff was third. Prior to Monday’s event, Soukalová twice finished just outside the medals at this year’s Winter Games.

In Sports News this Monday: Czechs take first gold in Sochi through snowboarder Samková; Czech hockey team to face Slovakia for place against USA in quarter-finals; Olympic committee chair Kejval says team should add to hitherto tally of four medals; and Berdych ends title drought in Rotterdam.

Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 1-0 Saturday night in the teams' final preliminary-round game. Simon Bodenmann scored in the first period and despite playing a fast, aggressive game the Czechs were unable to get past the Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller who made 26 saves. The Czech Republic went 1-2-0-0 in the preliminary round to finish in third place in Group C, ahead of only winless Latvia.

Czech Eva Samkova won the women's snowboarding cross gold medal at the Sochi Olympics on Sunday. The 20-year-old, sporting a fake moustache on her top lip for good luck, dominated all three of her races on the Extreme Park course and crossed the line well clear in the final. Dominique Maltais of Canada took silver, while the bronze went to Chloe Trespeuch of France.

Czech hockey star Jaromir Jágr celebrated his 42nd birthday at the Winter Olympics in Sochi on Saturday ahead of a group C game with Switzerland. His team mates sang a Czech rendition of Happy Birthday, gave him a hearty round of applause and handed over a giant chocolate cake made for the occasion by German chefs at the Sochi Olympics.

The Czech Republic defeated Latvia 4-2 in the men's ice hockey tournament at the Sochi Games on Friday, restoring their hopes of earning top spot in their group ahead of the quarter-finals. Jaromír Jágr and Marek Židlický both scored for the second straight game and fellow NHL players Jakub Voráček and Martin Erat also contributed a goal apiece. Ondřěj Pavelec posted 18 saves to help the Czechs improve to 1-1 in Group C play. Both teams conclude Group C play on Saturday with the Czechs facing Switzerland and Latvia playing Sweden.

The Czech Republic’s ice hockey team got off to a losing start at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, losing 4:2 to Sweden on Wednesday evening. The Czechs had found themselves 4:0 down within 25 minutes and though they subsequently found the net through Marek Židlický and Jaromír Jágr, they were unable to turn the game around. Their next match is against Latvia on Friday.

The Czech campaign in the Olympic men’s ice hockey opening group starts Wednesday evening with a tough match against Sweden. Sweden are on paper the strongest team the Czechs will face in a group that also includes Switzerland and Latvia. The Czechs have only won three out of their last 11 major competition confrontations against the Swedes. Czech coach Alois Hadamczik has refused to divulge his selection ahead of the match. In spite of that, Jakub Kovár is widely tipped to be the first choice goalie for the encounter.

The leading Czech women’s competitor in the biathlon, Gabriela Soukalová, came fourth in the 10km pursuit event at the Winter Olympics in Russia’s Sochi on Tuesday. Soukalová narrowly missed out on bronze and fourth place is regarded as quite an achievement for the athlete, with no Czech woman having ever taken an Olympic medal in biathlon. The country’s men had not done so until Sochi, where Jaroslav Soukup has taken bronze in the sprint and Ondřej Moravec silver in the pursuit. The only other Czech to win a medal so far in Sochi has been speed skater Martina Sáblíková, who took silver in the 3000m.

Czech biathlete Ondrej Moravec won the silver at the men’s biathlon 12.5k pursuit at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Monday with a time of 34:02.7. The gold went to Martin Fourcade from France who covered the track in a record 33:48.6. Third place went to Jean Guillaume Beatrix (France) 34:12.8. Moravec has given the Czech Republic its third medal at the Sochi Olympics.