Hana Mašková (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɦana ˈmaʃkovaː]) (26 September 1949 – 31 March 1972) was a Czech figure skater who competed for Czechoslovakia. She was the 1968 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World bronze medalist (1967, 1968), and the 1968 European champion.

Hana Mašková
Born(1949-09-26)26 September 1949
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Died31 March 1972(1972-03-31) (aged 22)
Vouvray, France
Figure skating career
Country Czechoslovakia
Retired1969
Medal record
Representing  Czechoslovakia
Figure skating: Ladies' singles
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Grenoble Ladies' singles
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Geneva Ladies' singles
Bronze medal – third place 1967 Vienna Ladies' singles
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ladies' singles
Gold medal – first place 1968 Västerås Ladies' singles
Silver medal – second place 1967 Ljubljana Ladies' singles

Career

edit

As a child, Mašková spent her days on the ice at the Štvanice Stadium. Karel Glogar, who had been instrumental in the early career of two-time World champion Ája Vrzáňová, identified her talent.[1] Her next coach was Jaroslav Sadílek, followed by Míla Nováková in 1963.[1][2]

Mašková's international career started at the 1963 European Championships in Budapest. The next year, she competed in the 1964 World Championships in Dortmund. As a fifteen-year-old, she represented Czechoslovakia at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck and placed 15th.

In 1967, Mašková won the silver medal at the European Championships in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, finishing second to Gabriele Seyfert from East Germany (GDR). One year later, Mašková won the gold medal in Västerås in Sweden. She competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, winning the bronze medal behind Peggy Fleming of the United States, who had already won two World titles, and Seyfert. She is the only Czech woman to win an Olympic medal in figure skating.

Ája Vrzáňová invited her to join a professional show, but Mašková decided to compete one more year. She took the silver medal at the 1969 European Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany, behind Gabriele Seyfert. In 1969, Mašková left competition and joined the Holiday on Ice tour.[3]

Death

edit
 
Tomb

On 31 March 1972, Mašková was killed in a car crash near the French town Vouvray. Her tomb is at the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague, decorated by a winged female torso made by Jan Štursa.[3]

Competitive highlights

edit
International[4]
Event 62–63 63–64 64–65 65–66 66–67 67–68 68–69
Olympics 15th 3rd
Worlds 16th 13th 6th 3rd 3rd WD
Europeans 15th 7th 4th 2nd 1st 2nd
Prague Skate 4th 1st 1st 1st
National[4]
Czechoslovak 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
WD = Withdrew

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Kovar, Pavel (25 January 2001). "Hana Mašková". Reflex (in Czech). Archived from the original on 7 May 2009.
  2. ^ Macek, Tomáš (20 January 2006). "Hořkosladká etuda ledové krásky" [Bittersweet study]. idnes.cz (in Czech). Archived from the original on 26 November 2012.
  3. ^ a b Bittnerová, Martina (21 February 2006). "Ledová krása smutné krasobruslařky Hanky Maškové" [Ice beauty Hanka Mašková]. webmagazine.cz (in Czech). Archived from the original on 3 July 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Hana Mašková" (in Czech). sportovci.cz. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
edit