Miroslav Klásek

Miroslav Klásek was an all-around track and field athlete who excelled in many disciplines and won multiple Czechoslovakian national championships in the decathlon, but his specialty was the pole vault. In 1936 he set a national record in this discipline at 4.02 meters and, on this basis, was selected to represent his country in that event at the 1936 Summer Olympics. At the Games he suffered a thigh injury prior to the final and finished joint-17th with six other competitors at a height of 3.80 meters. He remained athletically active following the Games, continuing his successes at the national level, but World War II interrupted, and eventually ended, his competitive career. He coached for a short period after the conflict, but was barred from this job eventually due to his vocal refusal to join the Communist Party. From then on his sporting activities were limited to hiking and sailing and by career he worked in the glass industry.

Personal Best: PV – 4.02 (1936).