# Petr Svoboda (track athlete)

Petr Svoboda (Czech pronunciation:; born 10 October 1984 in Třebíč, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech track and field athlete, competing in the sprint hurdles. He currently holds national records in both 110 metres hurdles (13.27, 2010) and 60 metres hurdles (7.44, 2010). On 6 March he won a bronze medal at the 2009 European Indoor Championships in Torino.

## Biography

After breaking the national record for the 110m hurdles, he went to the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona later that year as one of the favourites. However, the gold went to Andy Turner as Svoboda, having led with 30 metres to go, collided badly with a hurdle, and went on to finish in a disappointing 6th place. On 4 March 2011, Svoboda won the gold medal in the 60m hurdles at the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Although Turner decided against competing, Svoboda beat Frenchman Garfield Darien who has to settle for a second silver to match the one he won in Barcelona.
On 21 September 2012 he married the pole vaulter Jiřina Ptáčníková, however the couple divorced in 2014.
In 2011, Svoboda suffered a heel injury, which interrupted his career for next three years. In May 2014, he announced return to professional athletics.

## Achievements

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| 2001 | World Youth Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 26th (q) | Long jump | 6.71 m |
| 2002 | World Junior Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | 36th (h) | 100 m | 10.79 (wind: +1.5 m/s) |
| 2002 | World Junior Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | — | 110 m hurdles | DNF |
| 2003 | European Junior Championships | Tampere, Finland | 11th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 14.60 |
| 2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | – | Heptathlon | DNF |
| 2005 | European U23 Championships | Erfurt, Germany | 17th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 14.19 w (wind: +2.3 m/s) |
| 2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 11th (sf) | 60 m hurdles | 7.80 |
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 16th (sf) | 60 m hurdles | 7.81 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 14th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 13.60 |
| 2009 | European Indoor Championships | Turin, Italy | 3rd | 60 m hurdles | 7.61 |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 6th | 110 m hurdles | 13.38 |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 5th | 60 m hurdles | 7.58 |
| 2010 | European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 6th | 110 m hurdles | 13.57 |
| 2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 60 m hurdles | 7.49 |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 5th | 110 m hurdles | 13.63 |
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 8th | 60 m hurdles | 7.67 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 23rd (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 13.67 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro | 18th (sf) | 110 m hurdles | 13.67 |
| 2017 | European Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 3rd | 60 m hurdles | 7.53 |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 11th (sf) | 60 m hurdles | 7.64 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 23rd (sf) | 60 m hurdles | 7.71 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 28th (h) | 110 m hurdles | 13.65 |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | – | 60 m hurdles | DNF |