Jiri Cechak is in his fifth season as an assistant coach with the Colorado track and field program, working specifically with the vertical jumps and multi-events.
Cechak came to CU from Pardubice in the Czech Republic where he was a professional coach in the top-level of the Czech Sports Training System for 12 years.
His coaching career began in 1963 at Charles University in Prague. A year later he began working with sprinters and field athletes. From 1965-75 Cechak served as the national coach-in-chief for the decathlon, mentoring several Olympians in that span.
Following his work with decathletes, he turned his attention to training methods in the high jump and hurdles where his success in the disciplines was rewarded when he was named the Czechoslovakia national coach-in-chief for the men’s high jump.
His personal records include a 6-7 high jump mark and a 110-m hurdles 14.6 second effort. A decathlete himself, he competed from 1962-75, competing in the Championships of Czechoslovakia, finishing second in 1966 and ’73. His pr in the multi-events was 7,119 points.
Cechak came to the United States in 1989 to compete in the World Veteran’s Championship, staying for the next 14 months to study English. He was appointed to be an instructor at the International Institute for Sport and Human Performance at the University of Oregon, where he compared U.S. and Eastern European systems in track and field.
He established a private club in the Czech Republic in 1992, which continues to attract some of the top decathletes in the world, including 2004 Olympic champion and world record holder Roman Sebrle as well as other world-class decathletes.
Cechak and his wife, Marcela, have three grown children, Brigita, Marcela and Jiri. He is a 1971 graduate of Charles University, earning his degree in physical education and sports. He is a frequent lecturer for coaches on his decathlon, high jump and hurdles training techniques.
