Rostislav V�tek is a Czech swimmer, who specialized in open water marathon. In 2009, Vitek successfully swam the English Channel at 7 hours, 16 minutes, and 25 seconds, which eventually became the fourth fastest solo single-crossing of all time. Because of his outstanding achievement and full commitment to the sport, he was nominated as 2009 World Open Water Swimming Performer of the Year. Vitek qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, after winning the bronze medal in the 10 km Marathon Swimming Olympic test event at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, with a time of 1:59:35.5. He swam in the first-ever men's 10 km open water marathon, against a field of 24 other competitors, including former pool swimmers Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria and Thomas Lurz of Germany. Vitek finished the race in seventeenth place, with a time of 1:52:41.8, approximately fifty seconds behind winner Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands. 

January 6th, 1976 in P?íbram (Age 48)