Czech athlete Nikola Bendova

Nikola Bendova stands as one of the most prominent faces of contemporary Czech sprinting. Her personal best of 23.16 sec in the 200m remains a significant benchmark in Czech athletics, placing her among the fastest women in the nation’s history.

Nikola Bendova’s fastest time in the 100m is 11.41 sec, set on July 26, 2019, in Brno. In her signature event, the 200m, she achieved a lifetime best of 23.16 sec on September 11, 2020, in Samorin. Her indoor prowess is equally notable, with a personal best of 7.33 sec in the 60m recorded on February 15, 2020, in Ostrava. Additionally, she holds a best of 17.09 sec in the rarely run 150m (2020) and a personal record of 53.84 sec in the 400m (2023), demonstrating the impressive range she maintains as a cornerstone of the Czech national sprint squad.

Born on November 4, 1999, in Jablonec nad Nisou, Nikola Bendova has transitioned from a record-breaking youth prodigy into a seasoned international competitor, representing the Czech Republic in the 100m, 200m, and relay events. She first caught the attention of the athletics world as a teenager.

Nikola Bendova gained her first international experience in 2015 when she finished fifth in the 200m (23.78 sec) at the World Junior Championships in Cali and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100m (11.87 sec). The following year, she won the bronze medal in the 200m (24.00 sec) at the inaugural European Junior Championships in Tbilisi and subsequently competed in the 100m at the World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, where she was eliminated in the first round (11.84 sec). She also failed to reach the final with the Czech 4×100-meter relay team.

In 2017, she was eliminated in the semifinals of the U20 European Championships in Grosseto with a time of 24.03 sec. In 2019, she reached the semifinals of both the 100m and 200m at the U23 European Championships in Gavle, where she was eliminated with times of 11.98 sec and 24.20 sec, respectively. In 2023, she finished fourth in the 4×400-meter relay at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul with a time of 3:31.26.

Domestically, Nikola Bendova is a multiple-time Czech champion. In 2017, Bendova won her first national title in the 200m. She has dominated the national stage, winning titles in both the 100m and 200m. In 2023, she swept both distances at the Czech Championships in Tabor, confirming her status as the country’s premier female sprinter.

She has been a consistent fixture in the Czech national team, particularly in the European Athletics Team Championships. One of her most notable team contributions occurred in March 2023 at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, where she was part of the 4x400m relay team that finished in the top 8.

Beyond the stopwatch, she is known for her “devilish” pre-race ritual—a signature gesture involving a playful, fierce expression toward the camera that has become her trademark. This blend of personality and performance has made her a fan favorite and a frequent subject of sports media in Central Europe.

Her training, conducted under the guidance of Miroslav Zahorak, focuses on explosive starts and power-to-weight optimization. While she has faced hurdles with injuries throughout her career, her resilience in returning to sub-11.50 and sub-23.20 form highlights her elite conditioning and competitive drive. As she continues her career, Nikola Bendova remains a key figure for the Czech Republic on the road to major championships, aiming to lower her personal records and lead the Czech relay squads to further international success.

Nikola Bendova has remained active through the 2024 and 2025 seasons, continuing her presence as a top-tier Czech sprinter. While her personal bests still date back to her peak 2019/2020 window, her recent results show a consistent level of performance at both the national and international levels.

The 2025 indoor season has been particularly busy for Nikola Bendova, with several key podium finishes in the 60m. At the Czech Indoor Championships (Ostrava) she secured the bronze medal in the 60m with a time of 7.47 sec. She finished behind Karolina Manasova (7.17) and Pavla Kvasnickova (7.42).

In a high-caliber international field at the Czech Indoor Gala (World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold), she clocked 7.51 sec in the heats, finishing 7th in her race against stars like Ewa Swoboda.

Competing in the 200m at the Swietelsky Grand Prix Tabor, she took 2nd place with a time of 23.63 sec, narrowly losing to Italy’s Gloria Hooper.

In 2024, Nikola Bendova focused on maintaining her speed across the 60m and 200m distances. She reached the final of the 60m at the Czech Indoor Gala 2024, finishing 7th with a time of 7.45 sec, but also continued to lead the Czech rankings in the 200m throughout the summer, consistently running in the 23.60s range during the outdoor circuit. Her 2024 season’s best in the 200m (23.64) ranked her within the top 200 globally for the year, reflecting her status as a reliable international-level competitor.

Nikola Bendova in numbers

1x European U18 Championships bronze medalist
5x National champion
Personal best: 11.41 sec (100m), 23.16 sec (200m), 7.33 sec (60m)

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