Vera Caslavska
Early Life and Education
Vera Caslavska was born on May 3, 1942, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her father was a clerk and her mother was a seamstress. She started her gymnastics training at the age of 15, which was considered late for a gymnast. Despite this, she quickly rose through the ranks of the Czechoslovakian gymnastics team.
Gymnastics Career
Caslavska's gymnastics career began in earnest when she joined the Czechoslovakia national team in 1959. She competed in her first Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, where she won a silver medal in the team competition. In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Caslavska won three gold medals and two silver medals, establishing herself as a dominant force in the sport of gymnastics.
In the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Caslavska cemented her legacy by winning four gold medals and two silver medals. Her performance in these games was remarkable not only for her athletic prowess but also for her political defiance. During the medal ceremony for the balance beam, she quietly protested the Soviet invasion of her home country by looking down and away during the playing of the Soviet national anthem.
Political Activism
Caslavska was a vocal critic of the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. She signed the "Two Thousand Words" manifesto, which called for democratic reforms in Czechoslovakia. This act of defiance led to her being ostracized and persecuted by the Czechoslovakian government. After the 1968 Olympics, she was forced into retirement and was not allowed to travel or coach gymnastics.
Later Life and Legacy
After the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Caslavska's contributions to gymnastics and her political activism were finally recognized. She served as the president of the Czechoslovakian Olympic Committee and was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest award of the International Olympic Committee, in 1995.
Caslavska passed away on August 30, 2016, in Prague. Her legacy as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time and a symbol of political defiance continues to inspire athletes and activists around the world.
