A new sports documentary titled Zlatá cesta (The Path to Gold), directed by Petr Větrovský, opened in Czech cinemas on Thursday, offering fans an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the Czech national hockey team’s surprise gold medal victory at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.

The film traces the team’s journey from a shaky pre-tournament buildup to its dramatic win on home ice in Prague. Despite low expectations from fans and commentators, head coach Radim Rulík’s squad defied the odds to capture gold—Czechia’s first world title since 2010, and the first won at home since 1985.

“The things that didn’t come together for the golden generation in 2004, or again in 2015, somehow clicked for this underestimated group,” a voiceover in the film notes.

Structured around exclusive interviews and raw footage, Zlatá cesta features insights from key figures including Rulík, veteran captain Roman Červenka, and top goalie Lukáš Dostál. The film shows the emotional and physical toll of the tournament, highlighting not just athletic performance, but also the behind-the-scenes strain—jetlag, injuries, public pressure, and internal doubts.

Rulík’s unconventional strategy of testing a wide roster of players in the run-up to the championship, despite repeated pre-tournament losses, is framed as a methodical process aimed at clarity and fairness. “I wanted to be sure why each player deserved their spot,” he reflects in the film.

Yet the coach also admits he underestimated the emotional toll. “I thought I’d announce the lineup and that would be it. I wasn’t ready for the backlash,” he says, referencing the media scrutiny he faced.

Červenka adds a voice of calm in the storm, emphasizing the team’s need to shut out external noise and focus internally. Together, he and Rulík guide viewers through what Větrovský presents as both a sports triumph and a cultural moment. “Hockey in this country is something unique. For a brief moment, it unites the nation,” the director said in a statement.

The documentary also covers the physical limits pushed by players, including NHL stars like David Pastrňák, who arrived to the tournament visibly fatigued days after playing in the NHL playoffs. Rulík notes how even minor time differences affect “already exhausted bodies.”

Větrovský, known for documentaries on athletes Jan Koller and Gabriela Soukalová, once again blends action with emotion in the 101-minute film. Zlatá cesta is now screening in Czech cinemas courtesy distributor Bontonfilm ahead of this year’s IIHF World Championship, which begins May 9 in Sweden and Denmark. An English-subtitled version is not currently available.

HAINES CITY — Haines City flag football roared into the Class 4A FHSAA Flag Football State Championships with an unblemished record. But the Hornets were faced against the No. 23 in the nation in Steinbrenner that lost against two top five teams in the nation.

From a local perspective, it was supposed to be the clash of the titans. But it was actually a David versus Goliath matchup in which Steinbrenner (14-5) eventually won 33-7 Wednesday night at Haines City High School because of the otherworldly activities of sophomore quarterback KK Ramsey, who is a Team USA player recruited by several colleges, while also being a girls basketball player who went to the state semis and a Javelin athlete thrust into regionals next week.

The Hornets (16-1) only score was from first-team all-county quarterback Zebrielle Canaday — The Ledger’s 2024 Player of the Year and top high school basketball player ― who made a nasty juke before heading up field 89 yards for a touchdown with 3:18 left in the third quarter.

But Haines City head flag football coach Stephen Stansbury told it like it is.

“They’re better than us. They’re consistent. They have top players that can throw the ball. We haven’t played anybody that can throw the ball like that all year. I think the best quarterback we played all year can throw maybe 20, or 25 yards. This girl can rip it 40, 45, so it opened and stretched the defense. We had two or three girls that didn’t make it today. … I think it would have been a little bit different if we had everybody. But they are very good,” Stansbury said.

Is the reason why the Warriors were so good because Ramsey is Josh Allen’s little sister? When the Hornets played zone, Ramsey threw darts on the money, as she could flick the wrist and the ball traveled half the field. If she let it rip, she often hit targets on the money, including a 73-yard pass play to senior receiver Berkley Demeter with 7:30 left in the first, which set up a first-and-goal situation. Ramsey could also deceptively run, as she easily put a foot into the ground and evaded the rush before using her quick twitches to outrun opponents. Ramsey accounted for five touchdowns, including four passing and one rushing.

This squad from Tampa had a true team — the team ran crossing patterns that got players wide open ― as these players have been playing with or against each other since youth flag football.

“…The team is up at practice 6:30 in the morning, and it takes a strong commitment level to be a part of it. The girls enjoy each other. They have great bonds off the field…,” Steinbrenner head coach Gregg Puskas said.

Defensively, the Warriors forced Canaday into four interceptions. Everywhere on defense was senior defensive back Megan Medina, who put up six tackles and one pass breakup. Sophomore defensive back Samantha Coble registered two interceptions of her own.

On the Haines City side, senior defensive back Brearna Farquharson tallied eight tackles.

Farquharson was a part of a magnificent team that went undefeated, winning back-to-back district titles heading into the regional quarterfinals. She will be a key cog gone next year, but the main core returns, including Canaday (29 touchdowns) and junior wide receiver Mikayla Hill (10 touchdowns).

“I think we did a lot of things right. I think we did some things wrong. I think we left so much on the field…,” Haines City coach Alex Craig said.

For most Virginia student-athletes, balancing academics and varsity sports is enough to fill a calendar. But for Shelby Bavin, a junior coxswain on the women’s rowing team, life includes one more high-stakes commitment — firefighting. 

Her nights end in turnout gear, racing to respond to emergencies as a volunteer firefighter, while her mornings begin on the Rivanna Reservoir directing Virginia’s crews through intense practices. But whether she is calling the final sprint of a 2K or suiting up for a structure fire, Bavin’s drive — and trust in the people beside her — makes her a vital teammate, in every sense of the word. 

Having grown up next to the Potomac River in Alexandria, Va., Bavin was surrounded by a large rowing culture — after seeing her older brother start rowing when he entered high school, she decided to give it a try in eighth grade, when her local team allowed it. For the next four years, Bavin dedicated her life to being the best she could be as a men’s team coxswain for both Alexandria City Titan Rowing and Old Dominion Boat Club. During that time, she earned two state championship medals and competed at SRAA national championships. 

After coming to the University, Bavin knew that she wanted to make an impact on another community in addition to the rowing team, and joined the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department at Albemarle County Station 8 back in November 2023, after hearing about it from a good friend who was actively firefighting at the time. Since then, she has logged nearly 1,400 hours of service as both a firefighter and an Emergency Medical Technician.

On average, active University student volunteers at Station 8 clock around 100 hours per month, and Bavin is no exception. That, combined with an academic course load, is an impressively packed schedule. Between her weekly 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. overnight shifts on Wednesdays, 6:25 a.m. morning practices and a full academic course load, Bavin’s calendar is often full from dawn till midnight. 

While many students seek to decompress in breaks between commitments, Bavin finds balance by leaning into hers. 

“Going to the fire station is a way for me to decompress from school,” Bavin said. “And rowing is a way for me to decompress from school. And then, getting to the station, I can take my mind off rowing, and being at the boat house I can take my mind off bad calls I might have sat on. I think in a way, the three things balance each other, because they’re all so different.” 

Bavin does not see her ultra-packed schedule as a sacrifice — rather, it gives her purpose. For Bavin, this is a mindset which connects to her time with Virginia rowing. The Cavaliers are focused on success, of course, but it is always a success which is earned through grit, toughness and a love of community. 

“The quote we have above our boathouse door, which is ‘Entitled to nothing, grateful for everything,’ is the thing that speaks to the values of our team the most.” Bavin said. 

In both firefighting and rowing, trust is required — sometimes even blind faith. Whether it is entering a burning building with someone new or lining up with an unfamiliar crew on race day, Bavin says both rowing and firefighting demand confidence in others’ training, instincts and commitment.

As a coxswain, Bavin is the eyes and ears for her boat. As the rowers all face backwards, Bavin needs to be on high alert for obstacles in her path and do her best to communicate to her rowers what is happening around them in terms of where they sit in comparison to competitors and how many meters remain. Her volunteer experience as an EMT and firefighter require that same type of focus — Bavin must be ready to delegate tasks when running head on into an emergency, whether that involves rushing to fight a fire or helping a patient going through cardiac arrest. 

“You may not have always worked with the people you get put on a [firefighting] crew with but you’re trusting the training they have received and that they can do the job,” Bavin said. “Rowing is like that too — sometimes lineups change, and you have to adapt and trust that everyone is rowing the same stroke even though you may not have rowed with them before. The coxswain facilitates that faith.”

Trust and culture go hand-in-hand at Station 8, where the team-oriented environment mirrors what Bavin values on the water. Charlie Murphy, a second-year College student who started volunteering at Station 8 last spring, said that this dynamic is central to what makes firefighting — and Bavin — so impactful. 

“[Bavin] has absolutely stepped in and embraced the family-like culture of the station,” Murphy said. “Which is extremely impressive given that she’s balancing this whole other life that a lot of us don’t have.”

Bavin strives to be the best she can be, both for herself and those relying on her, in every situation she puts herself in. She makes sure to give it her all so that, in time, the people around her will trust her — and in return, the effort she puts in allows her to trust her support systems.

Bavin’s story is not defined by any one role she plays, but by the extraordinary way she plays all of them — with intention, resilience and a deep commitment to supporting those around her.

Jimmer Fredette is hanging up his sneakers.

After a winding basketball career that featured National Player of the Year honors at BYU and ended in the Olympics, Fredette is retiring from basketball. Fredette announced his decision on Instagram Wednesday. He’s 36 years old.

“Ever since I was young, I was obsessed with basketball,” Fredette wrote. “Seeing the basketball go in was magical. I wanted to play it every day. …

“Basketball has taken me all around the world: from Glen Falls, NY, to BYU, the NBA, China, Greece and even Team USA at the Olympics! This game and my love for it has shaped me into the person I am today and for that I am grateful. …

“It wasn’t always easy, but it was always worth it! The next journey starts now.”

Jimmermania takes over NCAA

Fredette burst onto the national basketball scene during a four-year NCAA career at BYU from 2007-11. A 6-foot-2 guard, Fredette joined the Cougars as a three-star recruit and played 35 games off the bench as a freshman. He secured a starting role as a sophomore, then led the Mountain West in scoring as a junior and senior.

Advertisement

An electric scorer, Fredette was the consensus National Player of the Year as a senior while averaging 28.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals and shooting 39.6% on 8.5 3-point attempts per game. He broke Danny Ainge’s all-time BYU scoring record.

The Cougars made the NCAA tournament in each of Fredette’s four seasons. They earned a No. 3 seed in 2011 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Fredette was a national sensation.

Winding pro career from NBA to overseas

Fredette rode that momentum into the NBA draft lottery. The Sacramento Kings swung a draft-night trade to acquire Fredette from the Milwaukee Bucks, who selected him with No. 10 pick in the 2011 draft, one pick after the Charlotte Hornets selected another undersized scoring guard in UConn All-American Kemba Walker.

Advertisement

While Walker developed into a four-time All-Star, Fredette struggled to find his footing in the NBA. Fredette shot 38.6% from the field while averaging 7.6 points as a rookie in Sacramento. That turned out to be his NBA career high.

Fredette went on to play the next five NBA seasons with the Kings, Bulls, Pelicans and Knicks. But he spent most of his career deep on NBA benches while playing anywhere from 2.5 to 14 minutes per game after his rookie season.

In 2016, Fredette turned the page on the NBA and joined the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he immediately rediscovered his footing. Fredette was named the CBA’s 2016-17 International MVP after averaging 37.6 points in 41 games. He put up single-game point totals of 51 and 73 points during his MVP season.

After two seasons in the CBA, Fredette made a brief return to the NBA in 2018-19 that lasted six games with the Phoenix Suns. From there, his career took him to Greece and back to Shanghai in 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic ended Fredette’s CBA career by 2021, and he returned home to the U.S.

Advertisement

Fredette’s reinvention as 3×3 player

In 2022, USA Basketball recruited Fredette to play for its 3×3 team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. USA Basketball missed the cut for the sport’s 2021 Olympic debut in Tokyo, an embarrassing development for the world’s long-established basketball power.

Fredette was eager to play in the format that could highlight his scoring prowess and helped lead USA to a silver medal at the 2023 World Cup ahead of Paris. By the time the Olympics rolled around in 2024, Fredette was the No. 1 ranked player in the World in FIBA 3×3. He made his Olympics debut in Paris at 35 years old.

Unfortunately for Fredette, he suffered torn adductor ligaments in USA’s second game of pool play and wasn’t able to complete his Olympic experience. But he made the journey and played as an Olympian. And now he’s moving on to the next phase of his life.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown women’s water polo had four players named to College Water Polo Association All-Conference Teams, the CWPA announced on Wednesday (April 23).

Ella Palmer was named First Team All-Conference with Roxanne Hazuka, Aubrie Anderson and Ava Schoening each earning Honorable Mention honors.

Palmer finished the season with 36 goals and led the team with 41 ejections drawn and 23 penalties drawn. The junior earned her second-straight First Team honors.

Hazuka earned her first all-conference honor having led Brown with 199 saves on the season. The junior also collected 25 steals and five assists on the year. Earlier this season, Hazuka picked up her 500th-career save.

Anderson was a scoring machine for Brown in her second year on College Hill. Anderson led the team with 59 goals and added 23 assists. She also had 28 steals and 13 field blocks.

Schoening tallied the second-most goals for the Bears this season, picking up 44, while tying for second on the squad with 24 assists. The first year added 22 steals and drew 11 ejections.

Palmer, Hazuka, Anderson, Schoening and the rest of the Bears will be in action in the CWPA Tournament, hosted at Brown, beginning with a first round matchup against Bucknell on Friday (April 25).
 
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the backbone of our athletics program, playing a crucial role in enhancing the student-athlete experience. This is possible through philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, fans, and friends. Your gift through the Sports Foundation can immediately impact today’s Brown Bears, helping them excel in the classroom, in competition, and, most importantly, in the community. Please click here to learn more about how you can support the Bears.
 
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on X and @BrownU_Bears on Instagram. Like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.