Czech hurdlers Jonáš Kolomazník and Štěpán Štefko juggle elite athletics and medical school

Jonáš Kolomazník and Štěpán Štefko are leading Czech athletes in the 110‑metre hurdles. Both have earned multiple national and international medals, with Štefko recently winning the Czech championship and the pair competing at the World Indoor Championships in Poland.

While preparing for the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham on 11 August, the duo are also studying general medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc. Kolomazník begins his fifth year and Štefko his fourth. They describe the demanding balance of training, exams and daily routines, noting strong family support and the need to reorganise living and training arrangements.

Their story highlights the challenges of combining top‑level sport with rigorous academic study as they aim for Olympic qualification.