GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II 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. LARISA LATYNINA Born on 27th December 1934 (Kherson, Soviet Union, today Ukraina), she just turned 80. We wish to most decorated gymnast all the best in future and lot of healthy days. Her first appearance at international competition started with gold medal as member of winning team at World Championship in 1954. Afterwards she collected medals at Olympic Games, World Championship and European Championship; she won 25 gold, 15 silvers and 6 bronze medals in a sum 46 medals. Her career is impressive as she started to compete as 19 years old (World Championship in Rome) and finished at World Championship in Dortmund in 1966 at age of 32; still decorated with silver medal as team member. Today she is still the only women who won 9 gold medals at OG and it seems her record will still be valid in near future. Olympic Games 1956 1.team, AA, FX, VT, 2.UB, 3.rhytmic apparatus 1960 1.team, AA, FX, 2.UB, BB, 3.VT 1964 1.team, FX, 2.AA, VT, 3.UB, BB World Championship 1954 1.team 1958 1.team, AA, VT, UB, BB, FX 1962 1.team, AA, FX, 2. VT, BB, 3.UB 1966 2.team Science of Gymnastics Journal 71 Science of Gymnastics Journal GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 European Championship 1957 1.AA, VT, UB, BB, FX 1961 1.AA, FX, 2.UB, BB 1965 2. AA, UB, BB, FX, 3. VT It is worth to mention she won all possible disciplines at 1958 Moscow World Championship and at 1957 Bucharest European Championship. Larisa in action with her sign. Science of Gymnastics Journal 72 Science of Gymnastics Journal GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 Part of Soviet Union (bold) team from 1958, best advertisement for long living of gymnasts. From left Lydia Ivanova (born Kalinina), Larisa Latynina, Tamara Manina, Tamara Ljuchina, Tamara Zalejeva present at Larisa's 80th birthday (L. Latynina archive) VERA CASLAVSKA Born on 3rd May 1942 in Prague (Czechoslovakia, today Czech). She started her international competitions at age of 16, when she earned her first medal at World Championship in Moscow, and finished 10 years later after OG in New Mexico, due to political and family matters. It is important to notice she scored two 10.0 in event finals at the 1967 European Championship. We have to emphasize her seven gold medals at OG, which were all from individual rankings and her perfect domination among European championships in 1965 and 1967 where she won all disciplines (in that time European championship was equally qualitative as world championship as quality women gymnastics was not spread on other continents). Science of Gymnastics Journal 73 Science of Gymnastics Journal GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 Olympic Games World Championship European Championship 1960 2.team 1964 1.AA, BB, VT, 2.team, 1968 1.AA, FX, UB, VT, 2.team, BB 1958 2.team 1962 1.VT, 2.team, AA, 3. FX 1966 1.team, AA, VT, 2.BB, FX 1959 1. BB, 2.VT 1961 3.AA, FX 1965 1.AA, VT, UB, BB, FX 1967 1.AA, VT, UB, BB, FX Science of Gymnastics Journal 74 Science of Gymnastics Journal GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 17 is Vault Example of Caslavska exercises at OG 1964 in Tokyo draw by A. Bruce Frederick Science of Gymnastics Journal 75 Science of Gymnastics Journal GAJDOŠ A. SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES II Vol. 7 Issue 1: 71 - 76 VIKTOR CUKARIN Born on 9th November 1921 in Mariupol (Soviet Union, today Ukraina), died in Lviv (Ukraina) on 25th August 1984. With him Soviet Union gymnastics started to dominate on international stage. Her career started at late ages according to WWII and he made his greatest achievements in age of 31 and 35 years. Despite his international gymnasts career was short, he made open road to the next generations of excellent soviet gymnasts. Despite his name is not among original officially for Russian giants, he was one of the first men who performed it. Olympic Games 1952 1.team, AA, PH, VT, 2. RI 1956 1.team, AA, 2. PB, FX, 3.PH World Championship 1954 1.team, AA, PB, 3 PH Science of Gymnastics Journal 76 Science of Gymnastics Journal