Vlasta Děkanová

Vlasta Děkanová was a Czechoslovak gymnast who became the first world champion in all-around women’s artistic gymnastics. Děkanová was born in 1909 in Praha and began performing in international exhibitions across Europe in 1928. Děkanová was part of the Czechoslovak team that competed at the 1934 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where she made her competitive début. It was the first time that women competed at the World Championships. The Czechoslovak team won the gold medal, with Děkanová scoring the most points in the all-round event. Two years later Děkanová represented Czechoslovakia at the 1936 Berlin Olympics where the team won the silver medal in the women’s all-round event. Děkanová competed at the 1938 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships where again she won gold medals in the team and all-round events.

Děkanová was a member of the Sokol movement, an all-age gymnastics organization based on the idea of a strong mind and sound body. During World War II Děkanová was involved in the Czechoslovak resistance working as a magistrate. After being involved in the copying and distribution of materials from illegal publications, Děkanová spent several weeks in jail. During the Prague uprising in May 1945 she also worked as a nurse. After the war, Děkanová trained young gymnasts and worked in city planning.