Věra Čáslavská, R.I.P.

©Blesk

On Tuesday, Věra Čáslavská passed away at the age of 74.  She was one of the most successful gymnasts of all time and bravely stood up to the Soviet Union.


Between 1962 and 1968 she won 22 international titles and is still the only gymnast to have won Olympic gold medals in all five individual events.


After her public opposition to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 she was forced into retirement, not allowed to coach and barred from international travel by the Communist regime.

Following the Velvet Revolution, she was a sports advisor to Václav Havel and later was elected President of the Czech Olympic Committee.

In 2015 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  She was taken to a Prague hospital and died the following day.  Here's a short news video I found out on YouTube about her being remembered.

©SNTV