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The Women's World Games in Prague in 1930

Publication at First Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport |
2024

Abstract

The beginnings of organized physical exercises for women date back to 1869, when the Gymnastic Club of Ladies and Girls of Prague in Prague. From the 1890s onwards, the first women took part in cycling, skiing, skating and tennis competitions.

After the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, representatives of the Czechoslovak Association of Handball and Women's Sports attended the founding congress of the International Women's Sports Federation (FSFI) in Paris in October 1921, and female athletes participated in the first Women's World Games in August 1922. Czechoslovak representatives in the FSFI proposed Prague's candidacy for the third Women's World Games, which was approved by the FSFI congresses in 1926 and 1928.

Prague thus hosted the third Women's World Games in 1930. The Games were accompanied by financial problems but were very successful in terms of the number of participating countries and athletic performances.

For the first time, the Games also included tournaments in the so-called Czech handball and basketball. In the athletic disciplines, the German team won.

The most successful athlete was the sprinter Stanislava Walasiewitz, who overshadowed the Japanese Kinue Hitomi, whose participation and performances were followed by the Czechoslovak sports public.