Ondřej Synek

Ondřej Synek
Synek in 2012
Personal information
Born 13 October 1982
Stará Boleslav
Sport
Sport Rowing
Medal record
Men's rowing
Representing Czech Republic
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Single sculls
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Karapiro Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2013 Chungju Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2014 Amsterdam Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2015 Aiguebelette Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2017 Sarasota Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2007 Munich Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2011 Bled Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2018 Plovdiv Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Milan Double sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Gifu Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Eton Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Poznań Single sculls
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 Poznań Eight
Gold medal – first place 2010 Montemor-O-Velho Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2013 Seville Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2014 Belgrade Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 2017 Račice Single sculls
Silver medal – second place 2015 Poznań Single sculls
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Brandenburg Single sculls

Ondřej Synek (Czech pronunciation: [ˈondr̝ɛj ˈsɪnɛk]; born 13 October 1982 in Stará Boleslav) is a former Czech rower. He is a five-times World Champion in Single Sculls, winning in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. He won Olympic silver medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In Beijing he came in as the chief rival of Mahé Drysdale, but despite Drysdale coming down with a painful stomach flu and falling in the final stages of the final to bronze, he was upset for the gold by defending Olympic Champion Olaf Tufte, who Synek had regularly been beating the previous couple years. In London he came in co favored for gold with Drysdale after trading gold and silver at the previous 2 World Championships, but fell short to Drysdale in the final.

In Rio after having won 3 straight World Championships since London, he came in as the clear favorite and had a stated desire to badly want the Olympic Gold he narrowly missed in both Beijing and London his quest for Olympic Gold failed for a 3rd consecutive time in Rio as he took bronze in the single sculls behind both Drysdale and the surprising Damir Martin. As a 5 time World Champion in single sculls, and with a total of 13 World and Olympic single scull medals he is by far the most successful single sculler in history to not yet have an Olympic Gold. He confirmed after his Rio defeat to want to take a likely final attempt at the elusive Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020, but in June 2021 he announced on his Facebook page that he will not be going to Tokyo. In September 2021 Synek announced end of his career.