The Czech MIXED DOUBLES team arrived at the venue.

The Czech quartet of Anna Kubešková, Karel Kubeška (players), Jiří Candra (coach) and Tereza Pliskova (team leader) is in Chelyabinsk today. The accommodation is decent - Holiday Inn, the surroundings are terrible - dirt and battered houses. After the necessary rest after a difficult journey including more than six hours of waiting at the Moscow - Sheremetyevo airport (the boredom was only relieved by Jirka playing his mouth organ and two Moravian chasniks, who were confiscated during the security check a liter and a half of home-brewed pear brandy, and who were still saying goodbye to it in the last moments), the Czechs went to the hall. The preparation of the ice in the gigantic hockey hall is directed by Hans Wuthrich and Joe Fritz, and an important helper to these matadors is our icemaker Jiří Marša. We met with Jiri for a while. He did not radiate enthusiasm for the Russian standard of hospitality (accommodation, food, quality of toilets, etc.), but he was at ease and with a smile told us about his first experiences. We tried a local taxi ride (very small car) and found a Subway, which pleased us gastronomically and gave us some reassurance. We were looked after by two volunteers, Alyesha and Nadezhda, both language school students - see photo. The weather is ok, the time difference is 4 hours and the tap water is probably not drinkable. So much for today.

photo: indoor - 11 lanes for MS mixed doubles and MS seniors together, Jirka playing at the airport and Russian volunteers