South Korea show fine form in Prague

World Championships hosts South Korea showed they are in fine form ahead of Ulsan 2021 by topping the medals table at the Prague International Competition that concluded on Sunday (15 August) in the Czech capital.

Korean Para dancers took home 11 gold, 10 silver and six bronze in 14 medal events during the two-day competition. 

The Combi Standard 1 & 2 saw a Korean one-two podium with Juhee Hwang and Jaeung Son beating reigning world champions Hye-Jeong Jang and Jeongbu Bae.

Slovakia was another team with a lot to celebrate in Prague. Helena Kasicka and standing partner Stefan Stropko triumphed in the Combi Latin 1, adding a silver in the Combi Freestyle 1 (behind South Korea’s Jang and Bae) and a bronze in the Combi Standard 1 to it. 

Kasicka also dominated the single events, bagging gold in the Single Conventional Women 1 and Single Freestyle Women 1. 

Slovakia took another medal in the Combi Freestyle 2, a bronze with Maros Olejar and Maria Gazdikova. 

Austria also posed a real challenge in Prague through great performances from dancers Sanja Vukasinovic and Sabrina Gostner. Vukasinovic got medals in both of her events, one silver and one bronze. 

Czech newcomers

In the women’s Single Conventional 2, Vukasinovic reached the podium in third with Gostner following her in fourth position.

The Prague 2021 International was the first-ever World Para Dance Sport competition to take place in Czech Republic and the hosts showed they are here to stay.

The country also had a couple participating an official Para dance sport international competition for the first time. Newcomers Vítezslav Razek and Anna Kratka did not reach the podium but delighted the audience and proved they can pave the way for more Czech Para dancers to join the sport. 

Lomianki, Poland will host the next competition in the Road to Ulsan from 8 -10 October with the traditional Lomianki 2021 Polish Open. 

The Ulsan 2021 World Championships will wrap up the season from 26-28 November.