GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXI                                                                     Vol. 13 Issue 2: 286-288 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           286                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXI 
Anton Gajdoš, Bratislava, Slovakia  
 
Ph.D. Anton Gajdoš born on 1.6.1940 in Dubriniči (today Ukraine) 
lives most of his life in Bratislava (ex TCH, nowadays SVK). He 
comes from gymnastics family (his brother Pavel have world 
championship medals) and he devoted his life to gymnastics. His 
last achievement is establishment of Narodna encyklopedia športu 
Slovenska (www.sportency.sk). Among his passion is collecting 
photos and signatures of gymnasts. As we tend to forget old 
champions and important gymnasts, judges and coaches, we 
decided to publish part of his archive under title Short historical 
notes. All information on these pages is from Anton’s archives and 
collected through years.   
 
 
 
 
MEMORY ON OLYMPIC GAMES IN TOKYO 1964 
 
The first Olympic Games in Asia were in Tokyo (Japan) in 1964. Competition as never seen 
before. Modern technology everywhere.  
 
Male gymnasts from Japan won the second consecutive team title. Japan team represented: 
Yukio Endo, who also won all around, parallel bars, silver on floor; Takuji Hayata who also 
won rings, Haruhiro Yamashita who also won vault , Shuji Tsurumi who was second in all 
around, parallel bars and pommel horse, Takashi Mitsukuri and Takashi Ono. Three gold 
medals went to other countries. Miroslav Cerar (Slovenia, ex.Yougoslavia) won pommel 
horse, Franco Menichelli (Italy) won floor and Yuri Titov (Russia, ex. Soviet Union) won 
horizontal bar. Gold medals were really gold medals, not just covered with gold film.  
 
In women gymnastics Soviet Union dominated as a team, which was represented Larisa 
Latinina, who won on floor, was second in all around, vault and third on beam and uneven 
bars; Polina Astakhova who won uneven bars, was second on floor and third in all around; 
Tamara Manina was second on beam; Elena Voltchetskaya, Tamara Gromova and Tamara 
Zamotaylova. The most decorated gymnast was Vera Caslavska (Czech, ex. Czechoslovakia) 
who won all around, beam and vault, and second with team. 
 
At the end the most successful country  Japan had (5 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medal), 
Soviet Union had most medals, but less gold ones (4 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze medals). 
Medals had also Czechoslovakia, Italy, Yougoslavia, Hungary, United team of Germany and 
Finland. 
 
 
 
 
 

GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXI                                                                     Vol. 13 Issue 2: 286-288 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           287                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
Diploma from OG 1964 for 
Miroslav Cerar – 3rd place 
horizontal bar (Archive 
M.Cerar) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gift from the Embassy of 
Japan in Slovenia, a newspaper 
excerpt on Miroslav Cerar victory, on 
photos are also Franco Menichelli, 
Vera Caslavska, and  Polina Astakhova 
in Tokyo in 1964 (Archive M.Cerar)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXI                                                                     Vol. 13 Issue 2: 286-288 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           288                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
 
Autographs of Czechoslovakia  teams - men and women  at Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964 
on napkin. From left: Matlochová Jaroslava-coach, Klečka Karel, Sedláčková Jaroslava, 
František Bočko -reserve, Tkačíková Adolfína, Vera Čáslavská, Posnerová Jana, Germany-
wife of Kubička Václav, Prorok Vladimír- coach, Přemysl Krbec, Ladislav Pazdera, 
Krajčírová Marika, Mudřík Bohumil, Ružičková Hana, Kubička Václav, Kolejka Miloš -
judge