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Canoe race: Juraj Slafkovský gets the better of a top Slovak triathlete

 Sarah Jones
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Canoe race: Juraj Slafkovský gets the better of a top Slovak triathlete
Credit: Getty Images

Even though he’s only 20, Juraj Slafkovský is already a real star in Slovakia. The youngster, who is the pride of his hockey-mad country, is truly a rockstar in his homeland.

He’s a rock star in Montreal too, of course, but in Slovakia, it’s on a different level.

And as part of the Olympic Games, the city of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, held an “Olympic Festival” to showcase the Olympic disciplines.

Slaf, who is based in Bratislava, wanted to be part of it all, and decided to take on Richard Varga, a top Slovak triathlete, in a friendly canoe race.

The result? The Habs forward made short work of Varga.

Obviously, this is just a friendly competition, but it’s still impressive to see how easy it was for Slaf to win it all. Canoeing is not a triathlon event, but Varga remains one of the country’s great athletes.

It’s a bit like Nick Suzuki beating Andre De Grasse to the punch in a power-walking competition.

And what’s interesting to see is the extent to which the crowd turned out to see Slaf in action. For a simple exhibition event, there were plenty of people on hand, further proof of the young field hockey player’s popularity in his homeland.

There’s a reason he’s calleda “mega-celebrity” in Slovakia: people want to see him.

With a big eight-year contract in his pocket, Slaf ‘s future in the world of hockey is assured. That said, should things go off the rails, he might consider a career in canoeing, because he doesn’t seem to be a celery stalk at that level.


Overtime

– The Nylander brothers are reunited in the Maple Leafs organization.

– Great read.

– It’s going to be quite a duel, that.

– Kevin Durant is on form.

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