Andrea Hlaváčková & Lucie Hradecká: Blue wellingtons with a silver lining!

When on Friday 3rd August they sensationally beat Americans Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, the whole Czech House lived through the experience of reaching the doubles final with them. The same evening the smiling tennis players Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká stood face to face with their fans and happily looked forward to Sunday’s final.

They were unable to fight their way past the second American pairing, Serena and Venus Williams, but they came to the Czech supporters’ arena in London Islington with the same smiles – this time brandishing their Olympic silver medals.

„I don’t think any women’s pairing can currently beat the William’s sisters. The rallies we had were brutal. And when we managed to get to breakpoint they blew us away with a service on the line,“ said Andrea Hlaváčková summarising the two set game.

„However, we still enjoyed the final, and afterwards we just looked forward to the celebrations with fans at the Czech House,“ added Lucie Hradecká.

The second best women’s doubles paring at the London Olympics displayed to the world a dash of Czech humour during the medal ceremony, which the hallowed Wimbledon club had not experienced before.

During the medal ceremony the players took to the podium in the now legendary blue wellingtons. They were certainly in keeping with the weather on this rainy day.

Andrea and Lucie then attracted all the attention, even though they were „only silver medallists“. They obviously thought that a lot of time had passed since the Opening Ceremony, when the Czech wellingtons amused and shocked the world, and that fans were now ready for a reminder. They came to the Czech House in the same outfit. „We have already got them nicely worn in,“ laughed Lucie Hradecká with her wellies on meanwhile Andrea Hlaváčková jumped from the stage into the cheering crowd.

Although they finished second they were in no way disappointed. The hundreds of fans who were at the Czech House when they arrived welcomed them like royalty. They were happy to see the coronation of these Czech medal winners, and at that moment it didn’t matter whether the medals were gold or silver.

The never-ending applause and cheering clearly showed that for Czech fans the smiling blond pair are real winners.

More photos in the Gallery.