GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXVI                                                                            Vol. 15 Issue 1: 144-146 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           144                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXVI 
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.  
 
 
 
Eberhard Gienger (July, 21, 1951, Kunzelsau, Germany) 
 
Ebergard Gienger was one of the world best high bar gymnasts in 
period between 1971 and 1981. Even today his name is used at 
almost every high performance international championship, as he 
was the first to perform on high bar salto backward piked with 180 
degrees turn into regrasp. Element named by Gienger – Gienger 
salto – is today performed on horizontawl bar and on uneven bars. 
 
 
                                             Photo on right by: Albrecht Gaebele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gienger salto as is drawn in FIG 
Code of Points since 1977 
 
 
As he was very tall gymnast, by 
his words before training session 
his body height was 177 cm and 
after one centimeter less. Beside 
high bar, he was very succesfull 
on pommel horse and parallel 
bars, however his height was very 
contradictory towards rings 
exercises.  
 
GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXVI                                                                            Vol. 15 Issue 1: 144-146 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           145                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
 
 
The first big international competition he 
attended was European Championship in 1971 
in Madrid, where he took 6th place on vault and 
his last at European Championship in 1981 in 
Rome, where he won on horizontal bar and 
placed third on parallel bars. 
 
 
Photo on left by: Albrecht Gaebele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
His most prominent results are: 
 
OG  Muenchen  1972  5. Team, 14. AA 
OG Montreal 1976  3. HB, 5.team, 16. AA 
 
WC Varna  1974  1. HB 
WC  Strssbourg 1978  2. HB, 2. PH, 4. AA, 6 PB 
WC  Moscow 1981  2. HB, 8.PB 
 
EC Madrid 1971  6. VT 
EC Grenoble  1973  1. HB 
EC Bern  1975  2. AA, 2. HB, 3. PH 
EC Vilnius  1977  2. PB 
EC Essen  1979   3. PB 
EC Rome  1981  1. HB, 3. PB 
 
WCup London 1975  2. HB, 4. AA 
Wcup Oviedo  1977  1. HB, 5. AA 
Wcup Sao Paulo 1978  1. HB, 2. PB, 6. AA 
Wcup Tokyo  1979  1. HB 
 
 
 
GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXVI                                                                            Vol. 15 Issue 1: 144-146 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           146                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
During his very succesfull sports career, he was named twice as German Sportsmen of the year 
in 1974 and 1978, and became teacher of physical education. After retirement from gymnastics 
he was among many functions he had, member of German National Olympic Committee, FIG 
Men’s technical committee and from 2001 he was for twenty years member of German 
Parliament and serving in the Committee for Sports and Committee on Education, Research 
and Technology assessment.