On 12 and 13 March 2019, the Sports Complex at Strbske Pleso has already held 9th. Winter Kalokagatie 2019, which was already after the 8th edition of this 2017 event practically the second in the order that took place under the Tatra peaks. It was winter olympics of elementary school pupils from all over Slovakia who competed in six kinds sports, in downhill and cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding, acrobatic skiing and rinkbandy as well as in two cultural competitions, both in art and in art photo.
This year’s Olympics was record-breaking in all respects, because it was it was attended by 423 competing pupils from 110 schools, 374 children two years agoout of 96 schools. Last time only four sports were competing, this year they were up to six, up to 865 entries were entered into two cultural competitions, two years ago it was only 349 works.
Like two years ago, the weather was now a lottery. Weekend before the event was also in the Tatra area marked by great warming, rain and strong wind, but day for sports competitions cooled and attacked natural snow, which he created in Strbske Pleso really genuine winter atmosphere. Most children from all over Slovakia have come from cities and towns where there was no snow these days and so our winter conditions could enjoy the satiety. In addition, the first day of the contest was pleased by the sun and the snowfall that signaled that this year’s winter is not about to leave us.
The main organizers of the Winter Kalokagatie 2019 were the Slovak Sport Association schools in cooperation with the Slovak Ski Association, the Slovak Biathlon Association, Slovak association of Bandy, Štrba Village, Štrba Sports Club, Štrba Elementary School, Town Poprad and other entities in the region. Also this year’s Kalokagatia had an attribute international because it was also attended by a team of pupils from the Russian Federation who competed in cross-country skiing, biathlon and rinkbandy.
As usual, the first day of the race took place in a wooden amphitheater with a cross-country run the event, with all the Olympic formalities. There were also ceremonial speeches of present guests, nice cultural performance children’s folk ensemble Štrbianček from Štrba, arrival and erection of Slovak and the Olympic Flags, which were purchased by the Štrb Olympians Ľubomíra Iľanovská, Vierka Klimková, Jozef Kovařík and Ján Klimko, Olympic Olympic fire together Pavel Hurajt and Paralympic Dušan Pitoňák and promise of competitors and promise referees.
The runners and biathletes on the first day competed together in the cross-country area. On the Interski slope, the first races in the giant slalom snowboarders have made up to two competitions in snowboard snowboard and snowboard cross and acrobatic skiers in the first demonstration discipline at this children’s Winter Olympics they performed a slope style competition. All these disciplines had their first evaluation the day of competitions, awards and medals were presented by the honorable guests present together with Pavel Hurajt, bronze biathlon Olympic medalist from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
In the afternoon, a seminar was held at the FIS Hotel’s Blue Lounge to another rinkbandy sport that teaches elementary and other teachers Slovak association of Bandy also took part in this event with the participation of a youth coach of this of a renewed sport from Sweden by Michael Bratt. The dot behind the first sports program On the Winter Kalokagatie 2019, the evening running competitions in the sprint were in the cross-country ski area artificial lighting.
On the second day, the sun was not flowing, it was under a cloud, with a small one snowfall, but it did not detract from the enthusiastic children any of their sporting enthusiasm and enthusiasm. In the morning, the runners in the mix competed with the sprint in the classic technique and the biathletes had the program Relay race. Downhill riders were racing at Interski in their second races in a huge straw. In the afternoon, under the sports program at The Winter Stadium in Poprad has yet another tournament in rinkbandy participation of 6 teams, the ZŠ Mallého z Skalice team won in front of the ZŠ z Popradu and Russia.
However, the cultural part was also evaluated at the Patria Hotel in Strbske Pleso this day Winter Kalokagatie 2019 competes in art work and in a photograph on a pre-written basis themes. The organizers were pleased with the incredible number of submitted works, up to 824 artworks and 41 photographic. / For comparison in 2017, there were only 349 works primary school teachers had a really difficult task of choosing the best ones.
The dignified award ceremony of the best was again accompanied by a performance of members folklore ensemble Štrbianček, the awards were given to the town of Poprad. Of the 423 contestants directly at Strbske Pleso, there were up to 148 downhill skiers. followed by cross-country skiers competing 97, biathletes were 78, rinkband players 48, snowboarders 42 and skiers were 10. All the results can be seen at the Slovak Association of Sports at Schools www.sass.sk.
At the end of the entire Winter Kalokagatie 2019 program, they were in the wooden amphitheater Evening sprint results from the previous day, as well as the results of the running sprint all competitions of the second day. The Fair Award was also premiered on ZK 2019 play, which was acquired by Važec. All awarded children enjoyed this year’s medals very much, that have been truly successful and will certainly be a lasting memory for all successful children for this sporting struggle under the Tatra peaks. Even at this ceremony they sang on the end of the event Štrbské deti, his sports anthem “High in the Mountains”, which especially for them a well-known Slovak entertainer Štefan Skrúcaný.
Peter Chudý
Member of organizational committee ZK 2019