JÁGR - Jaromír Jágr, a winger for the New York Rangers, has been named Athlete of the Year 2005 in the Czech Republic. In the annual poll of Czech sports journalists, Jágr finished ahead of cross-country skier Kateřina Neumannová and ski jumper Jakub Janda. Jágr was awarded the honor for his pivotal role in the Czech national team's victory in the 2005 World Hockey Championship in Vienna, Austria.

COMEBACK - Czech-born Swiss tennis player Martina Hingis made a successful comeback to professional tennis in a WTA event in Australia Jan. 2. The 25-year-old former world No. 1, who retired from tennis four years ago due to chronic injury, defeated Venezuela's Maria Vento-Kabchi in straight sets.

JOCKEY - Jockey Filip Minařík became the first Czech to win the prestigious German flat track horse racing series Dec. 31. Minařík finished the year with wins in two races in Neuss the same day. He won 110 races last season.

JUMPER - Ski jumper Jakub Janda started the new year with a bang. He won a competition Jan. 1 at Garmich Partenkirchen in Germany, one of the most highly watched contests in the Four Hills Tour, which took place in Germany and Austria in late December and early January. Janda became the first Czech in 16 years to win a contest in the tour.

SKIING - Cross country skier Kateřina Neumannová successfully defended her 2004 title in the women's 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race Dec. 31 at the Golden Ski competition in Nové Město na Moravě, the only World Cup cross-country skiing race held in this country. In the men's 15-kilometer race, Lukáš Bauer finished second, behind Vincent Vittoz of France.

DISMISSAL - Slavia Praha soccer club terminated its contract with Mexican midfielder Cesáreo Victorino Dec. 22 after only three months. The team's management said it dismissed Victorino because he left the country in December without notifying them.

BOXER - Czech authorities have arrested professional boxer Roman Kracík on charges connecting him to defected billionaire Radovan Krejčíř, who left the country last year with tax evasion and murder-conspiracy charges pending, according to Irena Zadražilová, spokeswoman for the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office. According to police, Kracík worked as a bodyguard for Krejčíř and visited him in December in the Seychelles islands, the new home of the former heating oil baron.