Czech Republic competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's third appearance at the Summer Olympics after gaining its independence from the former Czechoslovakia. The Czech Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest team to the Games since the post-Czechoslovak era. A total of 142 athletes, 80 men and 62 women, competed in 19 sports; the nation's team size was roughly denser from Sydney by one sixth of the athletes. Women's basketball was the only team-based sport in which the Czech Republic had its representation at these Olympic Games. There was only a single competitor in equestrian, artistic and trampoline gymnastics, judo, and weightlifting.
The Czech team featured two defending Olympic champions: slalom kayaker Štěpánka Hilgertová, who made her fourth Olympic appearance as the most experienced female athlete, and javelin throwing legend Jan Železný, who had won three consecutive Olympic titles throughout his illustrious sporting career, and competed at his fifth Olympics.[2] Meanwhile, freestyle swimmer and top medal favorite Květoslav Svoboda was appointed by the committee to carry the Czech flag in the opening ceremony.[1] Other notable Czech athletes featured decathletes and Olympic medalists Roman Šebrle and Tomáš Dvořák, double Olympic champion Martin Doktor in men's sprint canoeing, and rifle shooter Kateřina Kůrková, who eventually married to the American and Olympic rifle prone titleholder Matt Emmons.[3]
Czech Republic left Athens with a total of nine Olympic medals (one gold, three silver, and four bronze), surpassing the record set in Sydney four years earlier by just a single medal.[4] Roman Šebrle, who previously won silver in Sydney, ended a 20-year drought to set an Olympic record and to receive the nation's only gold medal in men's decathlon, while Libor Capalini set a historic milestone for Czech Republic to pick up its first Olympic medal in modern pentathlon.[5] Meanwhile, Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová originally finished fourth in women's discus throw. On December 5, 2012, the International Olympic Committee stripped off Belarusian Iryna Yatchenko's silver medal after drug re-testings of her samples were found positive, lifting Cechlova's spot to the bronze medal position.[6] For Jan Železný, he ended his sparkling career with a disappointing ninth-place finish in men's javelin throw at his fifth Olympic Games. On August 29, 2004, at the time of the closing ceremony, Zelezny was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission, along with three other athletes.[7]
Czech athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).[8][9] Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová originally finished fourth in women's discus throw. On December 5, 2012, Belarus' Iryna Yatchenko was ordered to strip off her silver medal by the International Olympic Committee after drug re-testings of her samples were discovered positive, lifting Cechlova's spot to the bronze medal position.[6]
The following is the Czech Republic roster in the women's basketball tournament of the 2004 Summer Olympics.[10]
Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal
Czech Republic has qualified a single judoka.
Three Czech athletes qualified to compete in the modern pentathlon event through the European and UIPM Championships.
Czech rowers qualified the following boats:
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage
Czech sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.
M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given
Seven Czech shooters (five men and two women) qualified to compete in the following events:
Czech swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Two Czech synchronized swimmers qualified a spot in the women's duet.
Four Czech table tennis players qualified for the following events.
Czech Republic nominated four male and four female tennis players to compete in the tournament.
Two Czech triathletes in 2004 were veterans, but the nation's defending bronze medallist did not return. The Czechs' best result in 2004 was a twenty-sixth-place finish.
Czech Republic has qualified a single weightlifter.
Key: