The Czech Nordic combination is going through an unhappy period, in the World Cup, Czech fans have to look for its representatives only in the fifth tenth of the overall standings. Now comes another unexpected blow.
“Unfortunately, I felt that the body was not able to function in the way that I would have imagined. In the last two years, I couldn’t get to my former level,” Portyk, whose last start will be the World Cup in Finland’s Ruka, described on the association’s website.
He finished 50th in the first of a trio of races there, did not finish the second and did not start in the third. “Of course I wanted to keep trying. It’s great to do what I enjoy and fulfill. At the same time, however, I felt great dissatisfaction, I was struggling more and more with each race. After nights I didn’t sleep and just thought about how to get back,” he admitted.
Portyk developed in Lomnica nad Popelkou under the guidance of his father and his career was very promising. He jumped into the World Cup at the age of 17, became junior world champion in Rašnov, finished second in the World Cup in the team sprint with his more experienced partner Miroslav Dvořák. He also competed in three Olympics.
“Porto was an excellent competitor and a great worker. I still remember from his active career when he flew into the World Cup as a young wild man full of enthusiasm,” recalled the sports director of the Nordic combination, Tomáš Slavík.
“It is of course a significant loss for our discipline, because Tom was also an inspiration for many young people, but if a competitor has been dealing with health complications for a long time, then it is no longer possible to compete with the world’s best, despite constant efforts,” acknowledged Slavík.
