Tábor honors athletes Lurdes Gloria Manuel and Matěj Vaněk

The city of Tábor has honored two elite athletes, runner Lurdes Gloria Manuel and canoeist Matěj Vaněk, with its new gilded commemorative medal. The award ceremony was led by Mayor Štěpán Pavlík and Vice-Mayor Lenka Horejsková.

Lurdes Gloria Manuel, a world indoor champion in the 400 meters with a personal best of 49.37 seconds, expressed pride in her roots in Tábor. She currently trains in the Netherlands under coach Laurent Meuwly alongside elite athletes such as Femke Bol. Her upcoming training includes a camp in South Africa, with a long-term goal of competing in the 2027 World Championships in Beijing.

Matěj Vaněk, a three-time world champion and recent U23 European sprint champion, also received the honor. He noted that the medal would serve as a beautiful memento of the city's recognition of his achievements.