Olympic Games
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Czechoslovakia at the Olympics
The former country of Czechoslovakia first competed at the Olympic Games in 1920. Prior to that, they competed as Bohemia from 1900 to 1912. From that time they had a checkered history at the Olympics (pun intended). After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, athletes from this region competed for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Trivia
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During the London Olympics in 1948, one of nine members of Czechoslovakia women's gymnastics team, Eliška Misáková, became ill when she arrived in London. Diagnosed with polio, she died on the last day of the Olympics, the same day her remaining teammates won the competition.
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In 1952, Czechoslovakian runner Emil Zátopek became the only man to win gold metals in the 5000 meters, the 10,000 meters, and the marathon in the same Olympiad, setting Olympic records as well. This was a remarkable achievement considering that he had never competed in a marathon before.
Related Pages
- about Slovakia at the Olympics
- about the Czech Republic at the Olympics
- more trivia from each Country at the Olympic Games
