Ice hockey star Jaromir Jagr has been announced as the winner in the prestigious 47th plebiscit of Czech Republic Sports Journalists Association and was awarded the Czech Republic’s “Sportsman of Year 2005” at the traditional gala event in Prague on December 17, 2005. Plebiscit of SJA started in the year 1959 and members of national sports journalists association vote each year in this most traditional and most prestigious plebiscit after the split of the former Czechoslovakian federation. This year’s result was very close but the great personality of Jaromir Jagr and his excellent victory with his teammates in the 2005 IIHF World Championships in Vienna and great play in Czech Ice Hockey Extraleague for Kladno, in the Russian Ice Hockey League for Avantgard Omsk and now briliant attack and goals for New York Rangers in NHL which started again after the lockout gave the popular ice hockey star 42 points more than another great personality of Czech sport - Katerina Neumannova who took the world title in Oberstdorf in ski cross country. Another hero from Oberstdorf 2005 FIS Nordic Skiing World Championships Jakub Janda was third in this plebiscit. Voting for best team of the year was a clear victory for the Vienna ice hockey champions. Results of 2005 plebiscit for “Czech Republic Sportsman of the Year”:

Best national athletes: 1 Jaromir Jagr (ice hockey) p. 1442, 2 Katerina Neumannova (nordic skiing) p. 1400, 3 Jakub Janda (nordic skiing) p. 1138, 4 Roman Sebrle (athletics) p. 824, 5 Petr Cech (soccer) p. 824, 6 Vladimir Smicer (soccer) p. 761, 7 Nicole Vaidisova (tennis) p. 642, 8 Sarka Zhrobska (alpine skiing) p. 629, 9 Roman Dostal (biathlon) p. 548, 10 Vera Cechlova-Pospisilova (athletics) p. 529

Best national teams: 1 Czech Republic Ice Hockey Team (winner of 2005 IIHF World Championships) p. 406 points, 2 Czech Republic National Soccer Team (participant of 2006 FIFA World Cup) p. 288, 3 Czech Republic Basketball Team Women (winner of 2005 European Championship) p. 285

More information can be found on Czech Republic SJA web pages www.ksn.cz

Vladimir Drbohlav