In
1896, Jiří Stanislav Guth-Jarkovský was the first representative of the Czech
countries who took part in the modern Olympic Games, albeit only as a
functionary. Since then, a long number of names have actively marked themselves
in golden letters in the modern era of the Czechoslovak sport in the interwar
and post-war periods.
Athletics
1st Olympic gold medal for Czechoslovakia was won by Bedřich Šupčík. He competed in the gymnastics discipline in the legless rope climb (hand over hand) on an eight-meter rope. He applied in it his extraordinary strength in arms. In a dramatic competition he beat with the time 7.2 seconds by only two tenths of second the Frenchman Albert Séguin. Nowadays, the rope climb is no longer an Olympic discipline.
Successful runner, multiple champion of the republic Evžen Rošický (1914 - 1942), was executed by the Nazis for resistance activity during the World War II.
Emil Zátopek's track spikes (1950)National Museum, Czech Republic
The athletic Zátopek couple succeeded in the 1952 Olympics.
Emil Zátopek won three gold medals: 5,000 meters run, 10,000 meters run and marathon.
Dana Zátopková's discipline was javelin throw. She won gold in 1952 Olympics and silver in 1960 as well as the title of European champion in 1954 and 1958.
Men's tie for the Olympic Games Mexico 1968 (1968)National Museum, Czech Republic
The Olympians were accommodated with jerseys as well as formal attire. The picture depicts a 1968 men's tie.
Ice Hockey
The oldest hockey club tournament in Europe has been held since 1923 at the end of December in Davos, Switzerland. At his birth was Dr. Carl Spengler, who also donated the first ever trophy for the winner. Czechoslovakia's ice hockey teams won the cup 19 times, the last time it was Dukla Jihlava in 1982. The other successes of Czechoslovak hockey players include a six-time victory at the World Championship.
The itinerant Spengler Cup's trophy can be permanently held by a hockey team that won the tournament four times in total or three times in a row. After the 15th anniversary of the competition, the trophy was won by the first Czechoslovak LTC Prague, which won the tournament in 1929, 1930, 1932 and 1937.
Football
The first Czech football match is covered with mystery and the data about it differs, but the most probable is that this game was played in 1887 in Roudnice between the Sokol members and members of the rowing club Czech Athletics Club.
The first football match in Slovakia was held as late as in 1898 in Prešov and its organizer was Professor František Pethe, In 1919 a "Czechoslovak Football Association" was formed, which shielded the football teams from the territories of Czech lands, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia.
Poster for the league football match Dynamo Praha vs. ČH Bratislava (1960)Slovak National Museum
The Czechoslovak Football League was the highest football competition held in Czechoslovakia between 1925 and 1993. In 1925 it was called the Association League, in 1934 the State League or the Republic Championship in 1953. The name First League was used since 1956.
Football World Cup 1934 runners-up (1934)National Museum, Czech Republic
Among the best known football teams were Sparta Prague, Slavia Prague, Dukla Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Inter Bratislava, Spartak Trnava, Tatran Prešov, Baník Ostrava or FC Košice and others.
Chile 1962 cup (1962)National Museum, Czech Republic
However, the most watched were the matches played by the national team. The joined team began to write its history in 1920 when it won over Yugoslavia 7:0 in its first game. The greatest achievements of the Czechoslovak national team were: second place in the World Cup in 1934 and 1962, victory at the 1976 European Championships and victory at 1980.
The silver cup was won by the Czechoslovak football team for the second place at the Chile World Championship in 1962. The final victory was eventually rejoiced by the Brazilians. Nevertheless, this cup is the biggest success of the Czechoslovak football ever.
Other sporting Achievements
This tennis racket belonged to Jaroslav Drobný, successful ice hockey player, who won Wimbledon in 1954. He was representing Egypt at that time - after the Communist coup in 1948 he emmigrated from Czechoslovakia and he was granted Egyptian citizenship.
The Czechoslovak volleyball team won the European Championship in 1955, Ladislav Synovec was wearing this jersey.
Ája Vrzáňová's figure skating dress before her emigration in 1950.
Jan Lomíček, Národní muzeum
Šárka Rámišová, Národní muzeum
Eduard Belušák, Slovenské národné múzeum
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