Bratislavia, 17th September – One of the greatest Olympians of all times, seven-time individual Olympic Champion in artistic gymnastics, Czech Vera Caslavska, made a great gesture towards Slovakia, as part of her former homeland Czechoslovakia.

The legendary triple Olympian, winning altogether 11 Olympic medals (7-4-0) and heroine of both the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo (3-1-0) and 1968 Olympics in Mexico City (4-2-0), donated two of her Olympic gold medals to the Slovak Museum of Physical Culture as her gift to all of Slovakia.

The handover ceremony for the two gold medals (one from Tokyo and one from Mexico City) took place on 13th September in Bratislava, within the context of the exhibition “Winning and Loses. Slovak Sport 1993 2012”.

Vera Caslavska, laureate of the Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Prize awarded her by the ICFP of UNESCO in 1990 and former IOC member, chaired the former Czechoslovak Olympic Committee, CSOC, from 1990 to 1992 and, after Czechoslovakia split, she chaired the Czech Olympic Committee until 1996.

Mainly thanks to her understanding and friendliness there was a very peaceful “divorce” and easy division of the common property of the CSOC, between the two new NOCs of the Czech and Slovak republics in 1993.

In 2002, Vera was awarded the EOC Order of Merit during their Reykjavik General Assembly.

Last year she received the highest Slovak Olympic Committee award the SOC Trophy – in recognition of her sporting successes as well as sports official career and for everything that she has done for Slovakia.

“I was always representing Czechoslovakia, therefore I am convinced that part of all my medals belongs also to Slovakia. This is also expression of my great thanks to all my Slovak fans. I always felt very good in the Slovak part of former Czechoslovakia and that was a great time to compete here,” said the Czech NOC Honorary Chair Vera Caslavska during the ceremony.

This gesture is a great example of what Olympism is all about.