GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXX                                                                          Vol. 16 Issue 2: 364-366 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           364                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXX 
 Anton Gajdoš, Bratislava, Slovakia 
                                     Ivan Čuk, Ljubljana, Slovenia 
 
 
Ph.D. Anton Gajdoš born on 1.6.1940 in Dubriniči (today Ukraine) 
lives most of his life in Bratislava (ex TCH, nowadays SVK). He 
comes from gymnastics family (his brother Pavel have world 
championship medals) and he devoted his life to gymnastics. His 
last achievement is establishment of Narodna encyklopedia športu 
Slovenska (www.sportency.sk). Among his passion is collecting 
photos and signatures of gymnasts. As we tend to forget old 
champions and important gymnasts, judges and coaches, we 
decided to publish part of his archive under title Short historical 
notes. All information on these pages is from Anton’s archives and 
collected through years.  
 
 
 
 
8th Olympic Games in Paris 
 
 
Artistic Gymnastics competition was for men only. Nine countries participated: USA, 
Finland, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, France, Luxemburg and 
Kingdom of Yugoslavia with 72 gymnasts. 
 
On the first day gymnasts competed on horizontal bar, parallel bars, side horse vault and on 
second da on rings, pommel horse, long horse vault and rope climbing. On vault and rope 
climbing only one attempt was allowed, on other apparatus compulsory and optional exercises 
were required.  
 
On vault and rope climbing maximum score was 10 points and on other apparatus was 11 
points (10 for exercise presentation and 1 point for approaching and leaving apparatus). Rope 
climbing had following scoring: 
 
Time   Score 
Less than 9.00 s 10 
9.20   9 
9.40   8 
9.60   7 
9.80   6 
10.20   5 
10.60   4 
11.00   3 
11.60   2 
11.80   1 
12.00   0  
 
GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXX                                                                          Vol. 16 Issue 2: 364-366 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           365                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
 
Long horse vault had special rules. In front of horse it was placed a stick at certain height and 
according to the height, maximum score was defined: 170 cm for 10 points, and than for each 5 cm 
less one point less. Gymnasts had to perform split jump. (Picture from: Vazzaz J., Gregorka B.: Razvoj 
telovadnega orodja na Slovenskem (1984), Begunje: Elan (1984)) 
 
 
Quite many gymnasts performed so well, they scored maximum score - perfect 10 or perfect 11. 
 
With perfect 11 were evaluated on apparatus for compulsory or optional exercise: 
 
On parallel bars for optional exercise Giorgio Zampori , Italy 
 
On rings for optional exercise Leon Štukelj, Slovenia (Yugoslavia) 
 
 
With perfect 10 were evaluated: 
 
On side horse vault Albert Seguin, France 
 
On rope climbing 22 gymnasts scored 10 point,, the fastest was  
 
Karel Šupčik from Czechoslovakia with result of 7.20s  
 
Other gymnasts with 10 points were: Vacha, Pražak, Morkovsky (Czechoslovakia), Seguin, 
Delsarte, Gounot, Hermann (France), Guttinger, Grieder (Switzerland), Žilič, Štukelj, Porenta 
(Yugoslavia), Križ, Pearson, Safanada, Wanderer (USA) and Cambiaso, Lertora, Lucchetti, 
Mandrini, Martino (Italy).  
 
 
Results 
 
Teams: 1. Italy, 2. France, 3. Switzerland 
All around: 1. Štukelj (SLO, YUG), 2. Pražak (TCH), 3. Šupčik (TCH) 
Horizontal bar: 1. Štukelj (SLO, YUG), 2. Gutweniger (SUI), 3. Higelin (FRA) 
Parallel bars: 1. Guttinger (SUI), 2. Pražak (TCH), 3. Zampori (ITA) 
Rings: 1. Martino (ITA), 2. Pražak (TCH), 3. Vacha (TCH) 
Pommel horse: 1. Wilhelm (SUI), 2. Pražak (TCH), 3. Vacha (TCH) 
Long horse vault: 1. Križ (USA), 2. Koutny (TCH), 3. Morkovsky (TCH) 
Side horse vault: 1. Seguin (FRA), 2. Counot (FRA), 3. Gangloff (FRA) 
Rope climbing: 1. Šupčik (TCH), 2. Seguin (FRA), 3. Vacha (TCH) 
 
 
GAJDOŠ A.: SHORT HISTORICAL NOTES XXX                                                                          Vol. 16 Issue 2: 364-366 
Science of Gymnastics Journal                           366                                 Science of Gymnastics Journal 
As a surprise Leon Štukelj (Slovenia/Yugoslavia) won all around. His performance specially 
on long horse vault was decisive as Leon Štukelj was only 1.60 meter tall. He jumped for 10 
points vault and rised his body center of gravity over 2 meters, what mean he had extreme 
athletic abilities.