1938 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

The 11th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1938.

1938 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
LocationCzechoslovakia Prague, Czechoslovakia
← 1934
1950 →

According to the website Gymnastics-History.com, various original source materials stated that the political situation, with what would become World War II on the near horizon, was grave in Czechoslovakia. An article in the 28 May 1938 edition of The New York Times described the political situation in Czechoslovakia as a “powder barrel” about which Soviet spokespersons “continued to evince concern all week over the possibilities of a general war blazing up from the Czechoslovakia situation[1] Also, the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer stated, in an article in their 6 July 1938 edition, “In the midst of the gravest crisis experienced since the foundation of Czechoslovakia, Prague is celebrating the tenth Congress of the Slavonic Gymnastic Movement called the Sokol, or Falcon”. [1] It was due to this political context that the 1938 World Championships were under-attended. A Sokol publication stated

“Only one thing they were not that happy about. The Hungarians, who were an excellent team in Budapest and Berlin, and the Germans, who were 0.5% ahead of our team in Berlin, did not have their strong competitors here. Both teams were registered for the competition and withdrew only at the last minute. The Dutch team apologized on the eve of the competition and did not participate.”[1]

Medals

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RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Czechoslovakia (TCH)116219
2  Switzerland (SUI)44412
3  Kingdom of Yugoslavia0123
4  Poland (POL)0011
Totals (4 entries)1511935

Team final

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Medal Country Points
    Czechoslovakia
Jan Gajdoš, Gustav Hrubý, Alois Hudec, Emanuel Löffler, Vratislav Petráček, Jan Sládek, Jindřich Tintěra
806.800
    Switzerland
Albert Bachmann, Walter Beck, Eugen Mack, Hans Negelin, Michael Reusch, Leo Schürmann, ?? Smid
791.833
    Yugoslavia
Miroslav Forte, Boris Gregorka, Josip Kujundžić, Janez Pristov, Josip Primožič, Miloš Skrbinšek, Jože Vadnov
741.300
4   France 740.133
5   Poland 681.233
6   Luxembourg 626.033
7   Belgium 558.400
8   Bulgaria 518.933

All-around

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A total of 59 competitors were individually ranked in the all-around competition.[2]

Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 138.06
    Czechoslovakia Jan Sládek 137.466
    Switzerland Eugen Mack 136.40
4   Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 136.333
5   Switzerland Leo Schürmann 134.533
6   Czechoslovakia Gustav Hrubý 133.833
7   Switzerland Walter Beck 132.60
8   Switzerland Hans Negelin 131.366
9   Czechoslovakia Emanuel Löffler 131.333
10   Czechoslovakia Vratislav Petráček 129.833
11   Switzerland Guglielmo Schmid 128.766
12   France Lucien Masset 128.633
13   Switzerland Albert Bachmann 127.533
14   Yugoslavia Josip Vadnav 127.3
15   Yugoslavia Janez Pristov 127.266
16   France Armand Walter 126.6
17   France Maurice Benhaim 125.266
18   France Gaston Murray 124.666
19   Yugoslavia Josip Primožič 124.633
20   Czechoslovakia Jindřich Tintěra 124.133
21   Poland Edmund Kosman 124.1
22 (tie)   Yugoslavia Boris Gregorka 123.766
22 (tie)   Luxembourg Jey Kugeler 123.766
24   Switzerland Michael Reusch 121.00
25   Poland Wiencenty Pietrzykowski 120.833
26   Yugoslavia Josip Kujundžić 119.366
27   Switzerland Siegbert Bader 119.333
28   France Louis Riollet 119.166
29   Yugoslavia Miroslav Forte 118.9
30   Czechoslovakia Josef Novotný 116.3
31   Yugoslavia Stjepan Boltižar 116.033
32   France Paul Cacheux 115.5
33   France Armand Solbach 115.1
34   Luxembourg Mathias Logelin 114.566
35   Yugoslavia Miloš Skrbinšek 111.866
36   Poland Wilhelm Breguła 110.666
37   Bulgaria Nino Mirtchev 110.366
38   France André Weingand 109.366
39   Poland Tadeusz Bettyna 109.066
40   Luxembourg Jos Romersa 108.366
41   Poland Paweł Gaca 108.333
42   Poland Bernard Radajewski 108.233
43   Belgium Arther Defer 104.1
44   Belgium Hri Boddaert, Jr. 103.466
45   Luxembourg Georges Wengler 99.9
46   Belgium Adolf Bickert 99.433
47   Poland Wilhelm Szlosarek 99.133
48   Bulgaria Kosta Ignatov 96.033
49   Poland Maksymilian Pradela 95.966
50   Belgium Joseph Foulon 93.933
51   Luxembourg Franz Haupert 90.566
52   Luxembourg Willy Klein 88.9
53   Bulgaria Ivan Tchouresky 86.133
54   Belgium Albert Maest 83.166
55   Bulgaria Metodi Christov 78.966
56   Bulgaria Josif Christov 74.833
57   Belgium Stan. Stobbaert 74.4
58   Bulgaria Ivan Siarov 72.6
59   Luxembourg Robert Weiwers 66.833

[3]

Floor exercise

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 18.83
    Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 18.56
    Switzerland Eugen Mack 18.56
4   Switzerland Michael Reusch 18.36
5 (tie)   Czechoslovakia Vratislav Petráček 18.26
5 (tie)   France ?? Bealin 18.26
5 (tie)   Switzerland Leo Schürmann 18.26
8   France Lucien Masset 18.23
9   Czechoslovakia Emanuel Löffler 18.06
10   Switzerland Walter Beck 18.00

Pommel horse

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Switzerland Michael Reusch 19.56
    Czechoslovakia Vratislav Petráček 19.46
    Switzerland Leo Schürmann 19.40
4   Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 19.16
5   Czechoslovakia Jan Sládek 19.06
6   Switzerland Eugen Mack 18.90
7   Switzerland Albert Bachmann 18.76
8   Switzerland ?? Smid 18.46
9   Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 18.30
10   Czechoslovakia Jindřich Tintěra 18.23

Rings

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 19.63
    Switzerland Michael Reusch 19.30
    Czechoslovakia Vratislav Petráček 18.76
4   Czechoslovakia Emanuel Löffler 18.43
5   Poland ?? Kosman 18.33
6   Switzerland Eugen Mack 18.30
7 (tie)   Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 18.26
7 (tie)   Yugoslavia Miloš Skrbinšek 18.26
7 (tie)   Czechoslovakia Jindřich Tintěra 18.26
10   Yugoslavia Miroslav Forte 17.90

Vault

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Switzerland Eugen Mack 19.83
    Switzerland Walter Beck 19.66
    Switzerland Hans Nagelin 19.50
4   Czechoslovakia Gustav Hrubý 19.36
5   France Armand Walter 19.16
6   Switzerland Leo Schürmann 19.06
7   Luxembourg Jey Kugeler 18.96
8   Switzerland Albert Bachmann 18.93
9 (tie)   Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 18.90
9 (tie)   Yugoslavia Jože Vadnov 18.90

Parallel bars

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Switzerland Michael Reusch 19.56
    Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 19.53
    Yugoslavia Josip Primožič 18.73
4   Switzerland Eugen Mack 18.66
5   Switzerland Hans Negelin 18.46
6   Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 18.33
7   France Lucien Masset 18.16
8   Switzerland ?? Smid 18.13
9 (tie)   Switzerland Walter Beck 18.10
9 (tie)   Switzerland Leo Schürmann 18.10

Horizontal bar

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Switzerland Michael Reusch 19.76
    Czechoslovakia Alois Hudec 19.70
    Switzerland Walter Beck 19.63
4   Switzerland Eugen Mack 19.33
5   Yugoslavia Josip Primožič 19.30
6   Switzerland Leo Schürmann 19.16
7   France Armand Walter 19.06
8 (tie)   Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš 19.03
8 (tie)   Yugoslavia Josip Kujundžić 19.03
10   Czechoslovakia Jan Sládek 18.86

Women

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Team final

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Medal Country Points
    Czechoslovakia
Vlasta Děkanová, Božena Dobešová, Marie Hendrychová, Anna Nezerpová, Matylda Pálfyová, Marie Skálová, Zdeňka Veřmiřovská
552.76
    Yugoslavia
Ančka Hafner, Ema Kovacic, Marta Podpac, Marta Pustišek, Dušica Radivojević, Lidija Rupnik, Milena Sket, Jelica Vazzaz[4][better source needed]
513.96
    Poland 510.21
4   Bulgaria 286.34

All-around

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A total of 32 woman gymnasts were individually ranked for the all-around competition.[2] With the context of both the previous World Championships which were the first with a women's segment to the competition as well as the interceding Olympic Games, the outcome and composition of the women's all-around podium at these championships was significant. Reportedly, cheating occurred at the first 1934 women's installment of these games[5] which, when undone, allowed the Czechoslovakian team and their foremost star Vlasta Děkanová to be the first-place finishers, as a team and individual, respectively. Going into the 1936 Olympics, the Czechoslovakians and Děkanová were the favorites, but had to take 2nd place behind the home-ground advantaged German team (who did not compete at the 1934 Worlds), and the top three scoring individuals were all German. These 1938 Worlds were hosted in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and this time all three spots on the all-around podium were occupied by individuals from the Czechoslovakian team. Děkanová (a Bohemian) successfully defended her first-place finish from the previous worlds, Zdeňka Veřmiřovská (a Moravian) won silver, and Matylda Pálfyová (a Slovakian) won bronze. The three regions from which each hailed within the former Czechoslovakia were the 3 largest and most significant regions of that nation, so the fullest representation possible of geographical diversity within that country was made manifest on this all-around podium.

Rank Nation Gymnast Gymnastics Events Athletics Events Individual Grand Totals
   †† Flying Rings     Gymnastics Events Totals 60 meters Discus Athletics Events Totals Individual Grand Total
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 9.65 14.85 9.55 14.9 14.76 63.66 10 10 20 83.66
    Czechoslovakia Zdeňka Veřmiřovská 9.4 14.1 9.9 14.55 14.76 62.71 10 10 20 82.71
    Czechoslovakia Matylda Pálfyová 7.95 14.75 9.95 14.7 14.83 62.18 10 9.8 19.8 81.98
4   Poland Janina Skirlińska 8.15 14.7 9.65 14.4 13.4 60.3 10 10 20 80.3
5   Czechoslovakia Marie Skálová 7.35 14.7 9.2 14.25 14.6 60.1 10 10 20 80.1
6   Czechoslovakia Anna Nezerpová 7.95 14.5 9.25 14.15 14.73 60.58 10 8.3 18.3 78.88
7   Yugoslavia Lidija Rupnik 8.6 13.75 8.65 13.4 14.46 58.86 10 10 20 78.86
8   Yugoslavia Ančka Hafner 9.25 14.7 8.75 14.2 14.5 61.4 10 7.3 17.3 78.7
9   Czechoslovakia Marie Hendrychová 8.5 14.3 9.45 14.35 14.43 61.03 8 8.8 16.8 77.83
10   Czechoslovakia Božena Dobešová 8.8 14.8 9.7 11.6 14.66 59.56 9 8.4 17.4 76.96

† Compulsory Uneven Bars †† Optional Uneven Bars [6][7][2]

Vault

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Matylda Pálfyová 14.83
  (tie)   Poland Marta Majowska 14.83
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Božena Dobešová 14.76
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 14.76
  (tie)   Yugoslavia Milena Sket 14.76

[6]

Compulsory Uneven Bars

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 9.65
    Czechoslovakia Zdeňka Veřmiřovská 9.40
    Yugoslavia Ančka Hafner 9.25

[6]

Optional Uneven Bars

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 14.85
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Vlasta Foltová 14.80
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Božena Dobešová 14.80

[6]

Balance Beam

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 14.90
    Yugoslavia Milena Sket 14.76
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Foltová 14.75

[6]

Flying Rings

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Medal Country Gymnast Score
    Czechoslovakia Matylda Pálfyová 9.95
    Czechoslovakia Zdeňka Veřmiřovská 9.90
  (tie)   Czechoslovakia Vlasta Foltová 9.80
  (tie)   Poland Wiesława Noskiewicz 9.80

[6]

60 meters

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Medal Country Gymnast Time (seconds)
    Yugoslavia Ema Kovacic 8.30
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 8.40
    Czechoslovakia Matylda Pálfyová 9.80

[6]

Discus

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Medal Country Gymnast Distance (meters)
    Yugoslavia Milena Sket 30.23
    Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová 29.80
    Czechoslovakia Marie Skálová 28.15

[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c History.com, Gymnastics. "1938: The First All-Around World Champion in Women's Gymnastics". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Macanovic, Hrvoje (July 30, 1938). "Setsko gimnasticko prvenstvo 1938 u Pragu" [World Gymnastics Championships 1938 in Prague.]. Sokolsky Glasnik (in Slovenian). Vol. 9, no. 26–29. p. 34. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  3. ^ History.com, Gymnastics. "1938: Another Perfect 10 and Shot Put Struggles during the Men's Competition at the World Championships". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  4. ^ Vreca, Sanja (2016). ŽIVLJENJEPIS SLOVENSKIH VRHUNSKIH TELOVADK OD 1936 DO 1970 [Curriculum Vitae of Slovenian Top Gymnasts From 1936 to 1970] (PDF) (Diploma). University of Ljubljana. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "Stříbrná zlatá Vlasta Děkanová - Mistryně světa v tělocviku". 18 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h History.com, Gymnastics. "1938: The First All-Around World Champion in Women's Gymnastics". Gymnastics-History.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  7. ^ "Ceskoslovensko vyhralo mezinarodni telocvicne zavody" [Czechoslovakia won international gym races.]. Vecer (in Czech). Vol. 25, no. 154. July 2, 1938. p. 30. Retrieved December 21, 2020.