Czechoslovakia at the 1948 Summer Olympics
# Czechoslovakia at the 1948 Summer Olympics

Czechoslovakia competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. Eighty-seven competitors, 73 men and 14 women, took part in 55 events in 11 sports.

Twenty-six-year-old Emil Zátopek won the gold medal in the 10-kilometre run on the first day (his third race at that distance). On the second day he added a silver medal in the 5 km run. Czechoslovak canoeists were also very successful (gaining three gold and one silver medal), Jan Brzák-Felix successfully defended his medal that he had won 12 years earlier in 1936 Summer Olympics with another partner, Václav Havel and Jiří Pecka won a silver medal using a 12-year-old boat from the 1936 Olympics. Boxer Július Torma won the gold medal in the Welterweight class, although he had injured his left arm before the semi-final. Women's gymnastics team also secured gold medals, but this victory was overshadowed by the death of their teammate Eliška Misáková, who succumbed to polio in London.

## Medalists

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Gold | Emil Zátopek | Athletics | Men's 10,000 metres | 30 July |
| Gold | František Čapek | Canoeing | Men's C-1 10000 m | 11 August |
| Gold | Josef Holeček | Canoeing | Men's C-1 1000 m | 12 August |
| Gold | Jan Brzák-Felix Bohumil Kudrna | Canoeing | Men's C-2 1000 m | 12 August |
| Gold | Július Torma | Boxing | Men's welterweight | 13 August |
| Gold | Zdeňka Honsová Marie Kovářová Miloslava Misáková Milena Müllerová Věra Růžičková Olga Šilhánová Božena Srncová Zdeňka Veřmiřovská Eliška Misáková $^{(awardedposthumously)}$ | Gymnastics | Women's artistic team all-around | 14 August |
| Silver | Emil Zátopek | Athletics | Men's 5000 metres | 2 August |
| Silver | Václav Havel Jiří Pecka | Canoeing | Men's C-2 10000 m | 11 August |
| Bronze | Zdeněk Růžička | Gymnastics | Men's floor | 13 August |
| Bronze | Zdeněk Růžička | Gymnastics | Men's rings | 13 August |
| Bronze | Leo Sotorník | Gymnastics | Men's vault | 13 August |

## Fencing

Five fencers, all men, represented Czechoslovakia in 1948.

### Men's sabre

* Alois Sokol
* Svatopluk Skýva
* Jaroslav Starý

### Men's team sabre

* Jindřich Kakos, Svatopluk Skýva, Jaroslav Starý, Alois Sokol, Jindřich Chmela

## Modern pentathlon

Two male pentathletes represented Czechoslovakia in 1948.

* Karel Bártů
* Otto Jemelka

## Rowing

Czechoslovakia had four male rowers participate in one out of seven rowing events in 1948.

### Men's coxless four

* Václav Roubík
* Josef Kalaš
* Josef Schejbal
* Jiří Vaněk
