# 1938 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

The 11th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1938.
According to the website Gymnastics-History.com, various original source materials stated that the political situation, with what would become World War II on the near horizon, was grave in Czechoslovakia. An article in the 28 May 1938 edition of The New York Times described the political situation in Czechoslovakia as a “powder barrel” about which Soviet spokespersons “continued to evince concern all week over the possibilities of a general war blazing up from the Czechoslovakia situation Also, the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer stated, in an article in their 6 July 1938 edition, “In the midst of the gravest crisis experienced since the foundation of Czechoslovakia, Prague is celebrating the tenth Congress of the Slavonic Gymnastic Movement called the Sokol, or Falcon”. It was due to this political context that the 1938 World Championships were under-attended. A Sokol publication stated
   “Only one thing they were not that happy about. The Hungarians, who were an excellent team in Budapest and Berlin, and the Germans, who were 0.5% ahead of our team in Berlin, did not have their strong competitors here. Both teams were registered for the competition and withdrew only at the last minute. The Dutch team apologized on the eve of the competition and did not participate.”

## Medals

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 11 | 6 | 2 | 19 |
| 2 | Switzerland (SUI) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 | Kingdom of Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (4 entries) | Totals (4 entries) | 15 | 11 | 9 | 35 |

## Men
### Team final

| Medal | Country | Points |
| | Czechoslovakia Jan Gajdoš, Gustav Hrubý, Alois Hudec, Emanuel Löffler, Vratislav Petráček, Jan Sládek, Jindřich Tintěra | 806.800 |
| | Switzerland Albert Bachmann, Walter Beck, Eugen Mack, Hans Negelin, Michael Reusch, Leo Schürmann, ?? Smid | 791.833 |
| | Yugoslavia Miroslav Forte, Boris Gregorka, Josip Kujundžić, Janez Pristov, Josip Primožič, Miloš Skrbinšek, Jože Vadnov | 741.300 |
| 4 | France | 740.133 |
| 5 | Poland | 681.233 |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 626.033 |
| 7 | Belgium | 558.400 |
| 8 | Bulgaria | 518.933 |

### All-around

A total of 59 competitors were individually ranked in the all-around competition.
| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 138.06 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Jan Sládek | 137.466 |
| | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 136.40 |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 136.333 |
| 5 | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 134.533 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | Gustav Hrubý | 133.833 |
| 7 | Switzerland | Walter Beck | 132.60 |
| 8 | Switzerland | Hans Negelin | 131.366 |
| 9 | Czechoslovakia | Emanuel Löffler | 131.333 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia | Vratislav Petráček | 129.833 |
| 11 | Switzerland | Guglielmo Schmid | 128.766 |
| 12 | France | Lucien Masset | 128.633 |
| 13 | Switzerland | Albert Bachmann | 127.533 |
| 14 | Yugoslavia | Josip Vadnav | 127.3 |
| 15 | Yugoslavia | Janez Pristov | 127.266 |
| 16 | France | Armand Walter | 126.6 |
| 17 | France | Maurice Benhaim | 125.266 |
| 18 | France | Gaston Murray | 124.666 |
| 19 | Yugoslavia | Josip Primožič | 124.633 |
| 20 | Czechoslovakia | Jindřich Tintěra | 124.133 |
| 21 | Poland | Edmund Kosman | 124.1 |
| 22 (tie) | Yugoslavia | Boris Gregorka | 123.766 |
| 22 (tie) | Luxembourg | Jey Kugeler | 123.766 |
| 24 | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 121.00 |
| 25 | Poland | Wiencenty Pietrzykowski | 120.833 |
| 26 | Yugoslavia | Josip Kujundžić | 119.366 |
| 27 | Switzerland | Siegbert Bader | 119.333 |
| 28 | France | Louis Riollet | 119.166 |
| 29 | Yugoslavia | Miroslav Forte | 118.9 |
| 30 | Czechoslovakia | Josef Novotný | 116.3 |
| 31 | Yugoslavia | Stjepan Boltižar | 116.033 |
| 32 | France | Paul Cacheux | 115.5 |
| 33 | France | Armand Solbach | 115.1 |
| 34 | Luxembourg | Mathias Logelin | 114.566 |
| 35 | Yugoslavia | Miloš Skrbinšek | 111.866 |
| 36 | Poland | Wilhelm Breguła | 110.666 |
| 37 | Bulgaria | Nino Mirtchev | 110.366 |
| 38 | France | André Weingand | 109.366 |
| 39 | Poland | Tadeusz Bettyna | 109.066 |
| 40 | Luxembourg | Jos Romersa | 108.366 |
| 41 | Poland | Paweł Gaca | 108.333 |
| 42 | Poland | Bernard Radajewski | 108.233 |
| 43 | Belgium | Arther Defer | 104.1 |
| 44 | Belgium | Hri Boddaert, Jr. | 103.466 |
| 45 | Luxembourg | Georges Wengler | 99.9 |
| 46 | Belgium | Adolf Bickert | 99.433 |
| 47 | Poland | Wilhelm Szlosarek | 99.133 |
| 48 | Bulgaria | Kosta Ignatov | 96.033 |
| 49 | Poland | Maksymilian Pradela | 95.966 |
| 50 | Belgium | Joseph Foulon | 93.933 |
| 51 | Luxembourg | Franz Haupert | 90.566 |
| 52 | Luxembourg | Willy Klein | 88.9 |
| 53 | Bulgaria | Ivan Tchouresky | 86.133 |
| 54 | Belgium | Albert Maest | 83.166 |
| 55 | Bulgaria | Metodi Christov | 78.966 |
| 56 | Bulgaria | Josif Christov | 74.833 |
| 57 | Belgium | Stan. Stobbaert | 74.4 |
| 58 | Bulgaria | Ivan Siarov | 72.6 |
| 59 | Luxembourg | Robert Weiwers | 66.833 |

### Floor exercise

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 18.83 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 18.56 |
| | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 18.56 |
| 4 | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 18.36 |
| 5 (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Vratislav Petráček | 18.26 |
| 5 (tie) | France | ?? Bealin | 18.26 |
| 5 (tie) | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 18.26 |
| 8 | France | Lucien Masset | 18.23 |
| 9 | Czechoslovakia | Emanuel Löffler | 18.06 |
| 10 | Switzerland | Walter Beck | 18.00 |

### Pommel horse

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 19.56 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Vratislav Petráček | 19.46 |
| | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 19.40 |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 19.16 |
| 5 | Czechoslovakia | Jan Sládek | 19.06 |
| 6 | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 18.90 |
| 7 | Switzerland | Albert Bachmann | 18.76 |
| 8 | Switzerland | ?? Smid | 18.46 |
| 9 | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 18.30 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia | Jindřich Tintěra | 18.23 |

### Rings

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 19.63 |
| | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 19.30 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Vratislav Petráček | 18.76 |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | Emanuel Löffler | 18.43 |
| 5 | Poland | ?? Kosman | 18.33 |
| 6 | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 18.30 |
| 7 (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 18.26 |
| 7 (tie) | Yugoslavia | Miloš Skrbinšek | 18.26 |
| 7 (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Jindřich Tintěra | 18.26 |
| 10 | Yugoslavia | Miroslav Forte | 17.90 |

### Vault

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 19.83 |
| | Switzerland | Walter Beck | 19.66 |
| | Switzerland | Hans Nagelin | 19.50 |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | Gustav Hrubý | 19.36 |
| 5 | France | Armand Walter | 19.16 |
| 6 | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 19.06 |
| 7 | Luxembourg | Jey Kugeler | 18.96 |
| 8 | Switzerland | Albert Bachmann | 18.93 |
| 9 (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 18.90 |
| 9 (tie) | Yugoslavia | Jože Vadnov | 18.90 |

### Parallel bars

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 19.56 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 19.53 |
| | Yugoslavia | Josip Primožič | 18.73 |
| 4 | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 18.66 |
| 5 | Switzerland | Hans Negelin | 18.46 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 18.33 |
| 7 | France | Lucien Masset | 18.16 |
| 8 | Switzerland | ?? Smid | 18.13 |
| 9 (tie) | Switzerland | Walter Beck | 18.10 |
| 9 (tie) | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 18.10 |

### Horizontal bar

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Switzerland | Michael Reusch | 19.76 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Alois Hudec | 19.70 |
| | Switzerland | Walter Beck | 19.63 |
| 4 | Switzerland | Eugen Mack | 19.33 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia | Josip Primožič | 19.30 |
| 6 | Switzerland | Leo Schürmann | 19.16 |
| 7 | France | Armand Walter | 19.06 |
| 8 (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Jan Gajdoš | 19.03 |
| 8 (tie) | Yugoslavia | Josip Kujundžić | 19.03 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia | Jan Sládek | 18.86 |

## Women
### Team final

| Medal | Country | Points |
| | Czechoslovakia Vlasta Děkanová, Božena Dobešová, Marie Hendrychová, Anna Nezerpová, Matylda Pálfyová, Marie Skálová, Zdeňka Veřmiřovská | 552.76 |
| | Yugoslavia Ančka Hafner, Ema Kovacic, Marta Podpac, Marta Pustišek, Dušica Radivojević, Lidija Rupnik, Milena Sket, Jelica Vazzaz | 513.96 |
| | Poland | 510.21 |
| 4 | Bulgaria | 286.34 |

### All-around

A total of 32 woman gymnasts were individually ranked for the all-around competition. With the context of both the previous World Championships which were the first with a women's segment to the competition as well as the interceding Olympic Games, the outcome and composition of the women's all-around podium at these championships was significant. Reportedly, cheating occurred at the first 1934 women's installment of these games which, when undone, allowed the Czechoslovakian team and their foremost star Vlasta Děkanová to be the first-place finishers, as a team and individual, respectively. Going into the 1936 Olympics, the Czechoslovakians and Děkanová were the favorites, but had to take 2nd place behind the home-ground advantaged German team (who did not compete at the 1934 Worlds), and the top three scoring individuals were all German. These 1938 Worlds were hosted in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and this time all three spots on the all-around podium were occupied by individuals from the Czechoslovakian team. Děkanová (a Bohemian) successfully defended her first-place finish from the previous worlds, Zdeňka Veřmiřovská (a Moravian) won silver, and Matylda Pálfyová (a Slovakian) won bronze. The three regions from which each hailed within the former Czechoslovakia were the 3 largest and most significant regions of that nation, so the fullest representation possible of geographical diversity within that country was made manifest on this all-around podium.
| Rank | Nation | Gymnast | Gymnastics Events | Gymnastics Events | Gymnastics Events | Gymnastics Events | Gymnastics Events | Gymnastics Events | Athletics Events | Athletics Events | Athletics Events | Individual Grand Totals |
| Rank | Nation | Gymnast | † | †† | Flying Rings | | | Gymnastics Events Totals | 60 meters | Discus | Athletics Events Totals | Individual Grand Total |
| | Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 9.65 | 14.85 | 9.55 | 14.9 | 14.76 | 63.66 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 83.66 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Zdeňka Veřmiřovská | 9.4 | 14.1 | 9.9 | 14.55 | 14.76 | 62.71 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 82.71 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Matylda Pálfyová | 7.95 | 14.75 | 9.95 | 14.7 | 14.83 | 62.18 | 10 | 9.8 | 19.8 | 81.98 |
| 4 | Poland | Janina Skirlińska | 8.15 | 14.7 | 9.65 | 14.4 | 13.4 | 60.3 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 80.3 |
| 5 | Czechoslovakia | Marie Skálová | 7.35 | 14.7 | 9.2 | 14.25 | 14.6 | 60.1 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 80.1 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | Anna Nezerpová | 7.95 | 14.5 | 9.25 | 14.15 | 14.73 | 60.58 | 10 | 8.3 | 18.3 | 78.88 |
| 7 | Yugoslavia | Lidija Rupnik | 8.6 | 13.75 | 8.65 | 13.4 | 14.46 | 58.86 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 78.86 |
| 8 | Yugoslavia | Ančka Hafner | 9.25 | 14.7 | 8.75 | 14.2 | 14.5 | 61.4 | 10 | 7.3 | 17.3 | 78.7 |
| 9 | Czechoslovakia | Marie Hendrychová | 8.5 | 14.3 | 9.45 | 14.35 | 14.43 | 61.03 | 8 | 8.8 | 16.8 | 77.83 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia | Božena Dobešová | 8.8 | 14.8 | 9.7 | 11.6 | 14.66 | 59.56 | 9 | 8.4 | 17.4 | 76.96 |
† Compulsory Uneven Bars †† Optional Uneven Bars

### Vault

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Matylda Pálfyová | 14.83 |
| (tie) | Poland | Marta Majowska | 14.83 |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Božena Dobešová | 14.76 |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 14.76 |
| (tie) | Yugoslavia | Milena Sket | 14.76 |

### Compulsory Uneven Bars

| Country | Gymnast | Score |
| Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 9.65 |
| Czechoslovakia | Zdeňka Veřmiřovská | 9.40 |
| Yugoslavia | Ančka Hafner | 9.25 |

### Optional Uneven Bars

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 14.85 |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Foltová | 14.80 |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Božena Dobešová | 14.80 |

### Balance Beam

| Country | Gymnast | Score |
| Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 14.90 |
| Yugoslavia | Milena Sket | 14.76 |
| Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Foltová | 14.75 |

### Flying Rings

| Medal | Country | Gymnast | Score |
| | Czechoslovakia | Matylda Pálfyová | 9.95 |
| | Czechoslovakia | Zdeňka Veřmiřovská | 9.90 |
| (tie) | Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Foltová | 9.80 |
| (tie) | Poland | Wiesława Noskiewicz | 9.80 |

### 60 meters

| Country | Gymnast | Time (seconds) |
| Yugoslavia | Ema Kovacic | 8.30 |
| Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 8.40 |
| Czechoslovakia | Matylda Pálfyová | 9.80 |

### Discus

| Country | Gymnast | Distance (meters) |
| Yugoslavia | Milena Sket | 30.23 |
| Czechoslovakia | Vlasta Děkanová | 29.80 |
| Czechoslovakia | Marie Skálová | 28.15 |