Martin Koukal

Martin Koukal ( [ˈmarcɪn ˈkou̯kal]) (born September 25, 1978 in Nové Město na Moravě) is a Czech cross-country skier and mountaineer who has been competing since 1996. He won two medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with gold in 50 km (2003) and a bronze in the team sprint (2005). Koukal's best finish at the Winter Olympics was a seventh in the 50 km freestyle mass start in 2006. He also won eight other events in his career from 1998 to 2005 in distances up to 15 km. He has some mountaineering successes, like his Cho Oyu, Huascarán and Kangchenjunga expeditions. His younger brother, Petr, plays ice hockey for HC Pardubice in Czech Extraliga and in 2010 also became world champion of his own.