Stanislav Štefkovič (21 November 1929 – 22 February 2023) was a Slovak decathlete.
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 November 1929 Skačany, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 22 February 2023 (aged 93) Nitra, Slovakia |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Czechoslovakia |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Decathlon |
Štefkovič was born in the village of Skačany. From his early childhood, he was interested in sports - first football and volleyball and later athletics. He was educated at a grammar school in Trenčín and studied Physical Education at the Comenius University. In the early phase of his athletic career, his weakest discipline was pole vault. Nonetheless, after reading a book by the Soviet athlete Nikolay Ozolin his performance improved and he set a Slovak pole vaulting record 12 times in a row.[1]
In 1953, Štefkovič finished third in the Czechoslovak Athletic Champrionship. In 1954, he competed at the Summer Universiade in Budapest and 1954 European Athletics Championships. In 1957, he settled in Nitra, where he taught and coached Athletics at the Slovak University of Agriculture. He competed at the Summer Universiade in Paris in the same year. A back injury suffered while skiing made it impossible for Štefkovič to compete internationally. In 1995 Štefkovič was awarded an Honorary Award for promotion of Fair Play in sports by the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee. Slovak Athletic Federation included him in the Hall of Fame of Slovak Athletic in 2022.[2]
Štefkovič died in Nitra on 22 February 2023, at the age of 93.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Stanislav Štefkovič profile". www.skacany.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Zomrel Stanislav Štefkovič, legendárny slovenský žrdkár a účastník ME 1954 v Berne". Atletika.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Nedávno ho uviedli do Siene slávy. Zomrel bývalý slovenský rekordér". sportnet.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 24 February 2023.