Friday, the 22nd April, did not bring with it just excellent news for the shotgun shooters. Unfortunately, like a bolt from the blue, also came tragic and completely unexpected additional news: that Bronislav Bechynsky (49), one of the best marksmen in the world in the skeet shotgun discipline, died on Friday evening from a serious injury in an accident on the D1.
During his career Bechynsky three times won the title of European Champion in skeet, was twice a World Champion in team competitions and also triumphed in World Cup competitions. A native of Louny, he competed in the Olympics in Atlanta and in Sydney.
As early as in 1990, together with Petr Malek and Leos Hlavacek, he was awarded the gold in the team competition at the World Championships in Moscow. In 2002, shooting with Hlavacek and Jan Sychra, he then added a second World Title in Lahti. As the first, and still the only shooter in history, he won three consecutive European Championships in the individual events in 1997 in Sipoo, in 1998 in Nicosia and in 1999 in Pusan and was twice European Champion in the team competition (in 1984 and in 1999). Amongst his tally were also seven silver and two bronze medals, won in World and European Championships. In 2001 he won the World Cup in Cyprus with a sighting-record of 149 points.
"I am sorry for only two things in my shooting career. I did not bring home any Olympic medals, neither from Atlanta nor from Sydney, and I have no individual ones from the world championships. So now the guys that I train have to make for it," said Bechynsky, who was a great companion and maintained his cheerful demeanour, wherever he happened to find himself.
In 2006 he finished his active career and became the coach of SKP Kometa, in whose colours he had fought more than a quarter of a century and also led the junior skeet representation. His ward has actually become to fulfil his wishes. In the last two years, they were regularly bringing medals from the world championship, including gold. Belonging amongst Bechynsky's bright hopes and also a member of the Ceska zbrojovka Factory Team, was Ivo Hilser, who finished in 6th place at the World Cup in Beijing the day before the coach's tragic death.
The name of Bronislav Bechynsky will be remembered forever, not only from the results lists of the most important international competitions but also in the hearts of all sporting shooters
We hereby honour his memory!