Fifteen-year-old Honza Kánský dreams of getting to compete in the national swimming championship. He practices conscientiously at the swimming association and does extra training on his own. He finally achieves the speed required, and is bitterly disappointed to learn that he has not been nominated for the team because the other club members' times are better than his. He has a row with the coach, and decides to give up swimming altogether. He leaves home early in the morning and comes back late at night and pretends to his parents that he is continuing with his training. When his club goes to South Bohemia for summer practice, he pretends to go with them, but he is really hitchhiking aimlessly.