Slavic Swimming Championships in the Years 1927–1929

Petra Tomšová

doi:10.16926/sit.2021.04.02

Abstract

In Czechoslovak swimming circles, swimming clubs were often criticized for having active sports contacts with many countries, especially Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, Sweden, England, but completely forgot about Slavic nations such as Poland and Yugoslavia. The reason could be found mainly in the fact that swimming in the Slavic countries developed only after the war. There were also financial reasons and greater distances between the states. After the successful European Championships in Budapest in 1926, when it turned out that the swimmers of the Slavic nations were able to compete in Europe, the International Secretary of ČSAPS, Eng. Hauptmann proposed to the South Slavic and Polish Swimming Associations to hold the swimmers’ championships of these nations. The proposal was adopted unanimously with great enthusiasm. This resulted in a convention, signed by the leading officials of the Yugoslavian, Polish and Czechoslovak Associations, in which all participating associations undertook to host the Slavic Championships in three consecutive years: in 1927 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1928 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and 1929 in Warsaw, Poland. According to this convention, the Slavonic Championships were held with a full Olympic program according to the FINA regulations.

Highlights

The history of swimming in Europe would not be complete without the three years of the Slavic Championships in swimming, diving and water polo, which were, upon approval from the Czechoslovak, Polish and Yugoslav swimming associations, held in Belgrade in 1927, in Prague in 1928, and Warsaw in 19291.The Slavic Swimming Championships were one of the driving forces which incited the Slavic nations to express a greater interest in this beautiful and healthy sport
Negotiations began regarding Slavic events. This resulted in a convention signed by the leading officials of the Yugoslav, Polish and Czechoslovak Associations, in which all the participating associations undertook to hold the Slavic Championships in three consecutive years: in 1927 in Yugoslavia, in 1928 in Czechoslovakia and 1929 in Poland8
The results were often affected by the weather conditions and the length of the racecourse was not entirely precise, meaning that the race times were skewed and scarcely comparable to times recorded in regular swimming pools

Summary

Introduction

The history of swimming in Europe would not be complete without the three years of the Slavic Championships in swimming, diving and water polo, which were, upon approval from the Czechoslovak, Polish and Yugoslav swimming associations, held in Belgrade in 1927, in Prague in 1928, and Warsaw in 19291. The second swimming competition for the Slavic states of Yugoslavia, Poland and Czechoslovakia took place on 21.–22.7.1927 in Prague. The winner of the men’s 4 × 200 m freestyle relay was the Czechoslovak team (Plzeňský, Pešta, Getreuer, Antoš) in record time, beating Poland in second place and Yugoslavia in third. Slavic Championship, more focus had to be put on Polish swimming, which, under humble and difficult conditions, and through the hard work of those involved and the moral and financial support of the state and public officials and authorities, vastly improved and flourished The difference it makes when swimmers can perform on a regulation course was never as evident as it was in Warsaw that year, as the city boasted a beautiful 50 × 20 m pool, a diving tower with 1 and 3 m platforms, 5, 7, 8,5 a 10 m above the water. 19 “Československé plavectví” 1929, nr 8–9, p. 1–2

Conclusion

Sources

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