The 2024 Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship is underway in Switzerland, and Czechia is on track to play for a medal for the first time since 2014. But the response from some Czech observers, has been far from supportive for the professional athletes dressing for their country. Two time bronze medal winner for the Czech women’s national ice hockey team Blanka Škodová posted a tweet about her thoughts on the response these young athletes have been getting, sparking a discussion around how female hockey players are treated. I spoke with Škodová about her thoughts on the matter.
I want to start by asking you what exactly you’ve been observing in regards to the online comments about the women’s U18 championship?
“I was not expecting much of this when I posted it on Twitter. I only meant to use my small platform to express my frustration over these comments, and I wanted to point them out. A few people reached out to me saying what a great initiative it was, and how they could support the statement too, and that really showed me that it was the right time to speak out. I really just couldn’t take it any longer, because I can’t imagine how these girls feel about it.”
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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt