Czechoslovak Female Athletes at the Internation-al Scene During the Interwar Period between WWI and WWII

Abstract

Between the two world wars, women athletics got emancipated, as both sport successes and the viewers’ interest contributed to the International Olympic Committee and International Amateur Athletic Federation topmen to accept women athletics. The representatives of the Czechoslovak Federation of Handball and Female Sports and other women sports contributed largely to the development and emancipation of women athletics, and were present at the foundation of the world federation. The women’s athletics popularity for European sport public rose mostly thanks to the stars of the track, throw, and jump disciplines at the international events. Women athletes from Poland and Czechoslovakia held up in the competition of big sporting powers, notwithstanding their much more humble training possibilities. This paper focused on the most successful Czechoslovak women athletes that were able to achieve interesting results at the biggest women athletics events and managed to change the historical world tables in athletics. Used sources included their period contemporary journals and magazines and some till now unpublished registry data.

Keywords

• Marie Vidláková
• Athletics
• Women’s World Games
• Marie Mejzlíková I and II