Simona Kubová (néeBaumrtová; Czech pronunciation:[ˈsɪmonaˈkubovaːˈbaumr̩tovaː], born 24 August 1991) is a Czechswimmer most successfully competing in backstroke events.[1] Kubová is the first Czech female to swim 100 metre backstroke in long course swimming pool under one minute.
Biography
Simona Baumrtová was born and raised in Chomutov, where she was coached by her father Tomáš Baumrt. She was originally interested in gymnastics but switched to swimming after suffering from spondylolisthesis.[2] While competing in various events, including individual medley, Baumrtová achieved the most success in backstroke events, both in long and short course.
At 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Simona Baumrtová competed in 100-metre and 200-metre backstroke. In both events, she set new national records in heats — 59.99 and 2:10.03 — advanced to semi-finals but did not manage to reach the finals and finished 10th and 14th respectively.[4]
Later that year, she pushed down short-course national records in 50 m and 100 m backstroke to 26.83 and 57.73 respectively. At 2012 European Short Course Championships in Chartres, Baumrtová won three bronze medals in all three individual backstroke events and added silver medal in 4x50 medley relay.[3] At 200-metre backstroke distance she cut off another 1.5 second from her national record.
In 2013, Baumrtová won gold at the 2013 European Short Course Championship in the 50 m backstroke.[3] At the same event, she also won silver in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke and bronze in the 4 x 50 m mixed medley relay.[3]
She qualified for both the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, but her 2016 Olympics were badly affected by episodes of cervicovestibular syndrome.[2]
Kubová has won Czech swimmer of the Year six times.[2]
Personal life
She graduated at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague.
In August 2018, she married physiotherapist Kryštof Kuba and changed her surname to Kubová.[5]
Personal bests
Long course
50 m backstroke 27.78 NR (4 August 2018, Glasgow, United Kingdom)
100 m backstroke 59.65 NR (24 July 2017, Budapest, Hungary)
200 m backstroke 2:09.92 NR (13 June 2014, Rome, Italy)
Short course
50 m backstroke 26.22 NR (14 November 2020, Budapest, Hungary)
100 m backstroke 56.28 NR (13 December 2013, Herning, Denmark)
200 m backstroke 2:03.06 NR (15 December 2013, Herning, Denmark)
100 m individual medley 59.82 NR (28 November 2013, Plzen, Czech Republic)
200 m individual medley 2:08.61 NR (29 November 2013, Plzen, Czech Republic)[6][7]
She was also part of the Czech teams that set national records: