Jaromir Jezek breaks wrist at training

Jaomir Jezek, who competed at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, suffered the injury during training ahead of a competition tour in South America. He slipped as he tried to throw an opponent and landed on his wrist. The 28-year-old Jezek suffered a broken wrist and torn ligaments in the wrist. He was quoted on the Czech website Deniz.cz that he has to wear a cast for eight weeks.

The injury is a big setback for Jezek's hopes of reaching a third Olympic Games.

"It's a big complication because two of the five Olympic spots are filled.

The first year of qualification is coming to an end," said Czech national team coach Mr. Petr Lacina. 

Jezek, who won the 2011 European championship bronze medallist at 73kg, said he was lucky that the European Championship was cancelled and moved from Glasgow in April to be incorporated into the Baku 2015 European Games in June. He said he can hopefully heal in time to compete in Baku and gain some valuable points for qualifying for Rio 2016.

Taking Jezek' place on the Czech team for the March tour of competitions, in Santiago de Chile, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, is 20-year-old David Klammert, who became the Czech national champion at 90kg last November.

Jezek is not the only Czech happy about the European Championships now being part of the Baku 2015 European Games.

"Originally, we did not expect to bring our best judo fighters. But now of course we will have our strongest team," the Czech Judo Federation Secretary General Pavel Volek told Sport.cz.

"It could have even more cachet than the European Championships. I think it could become permanent."