Czechia have won the Ice Hockey World Championships. The hosts beat Switzerland 2:0 in the tournament final at Prague’s O2 Arena on Sunday night for the country’s first gold medal in the competition in 14 years.
The game was scoreless for the first two periods before David Pastrňák found the net with a long-range strike halfway through the third with his first goal of the tournament. David Kämpf then made certain of victory with less than a minute remaining on the clock, triggering scenes of euphoria on the Czech bench and throughout the sold-out venue.
Pastrňák was named most valuable player while Czech goaltender Lukáš Dostál again proved crucial to his side’s success, later picking up the award for goalie of the tournament.
The game was relayed on big screens on Prague’s Old Town Square and elsewhere around the country and enjoyed enormous public interest.