“Of course there will be some pressure, but I try not to think about it too much. I'm going to Paris with the intention of doing my best and if I perform well, then I could have a chance of getting a medal. 

“I know what the expectations are but I don't want to stress myself out. I'm going to the Games simply to make the most of it,” said Krpalek to Radio.cz.

Krpalek fought in -100 kg and +100 kg categories during the new Olympic cycle. He reached the final of the 2023 World Championships in Doha, where he lost to Russia's Arman Adamian. He also was third at the 2023 Almada Grand Prix in the same weight category. 

But he did even better in +100 kg category. Krpalek won gold medals in the 2022 Abdu Dhabi IJF Grand Slam, 2023 Zagreb Grand Prix, 2024 Linz Grand Prix and was third in 2023 Tokyo Grand Slam in +100 kg category.

The 33 years old athlete was eligible to compete in both weight categories at Paris 2024, and he decided to switch to the super heavyweight category.

“When I was in the under 100 kg weight class, I weighed between 108 and 109 kilos. Losing the necessary weight posed no problem. It's just that if you do it once, twice, three times, then your body starts to react and tells you to stop. 

“The fourth time, my weight suddenly jumped to 116-117 kilos. I gained 15 kilos in the space of two nights. It was obvious that my body was under extreme stress, and these are extremes that I no longer want to experience. 

“I also don't want to serve as a bad example for young people who are training and that's why I no longer try to lose weight at any cost to get into a weight class,” added the athlete.