Vera Čáslavská

Věra Čáslavská (3 May 1942 – 30 August 2016) was a Czechoslovak artistic gymnast and Olympic champion, notable for her victories at the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games, her signing of the Two Thousand Words manifesto in 1968, her public protest on the Mexico City podium, and the political repression she suffered until 1989.

Competed for Czechoslovakia at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics; signed the 'Two Thousand Words' manifesto in 1968; made a visible protest during the Soviet anthem on the 1968 Olympic podium; subjected to political repression at home; died 30 August 2016 from pancreatic cancer.

The reviews recount Věra Čáslavská's athletic victories at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics and her political stance during the 1968 Prague Spring. They describe her signing of the Two Thousand Words manifesto, her protest on the Mexico City podium, subsequent repression until 1989, and her death in 2016 from pancreatic cancer.

For:readers interested in Olympic history, Cold War-era politics, gymnastics fans and Czech history enthusiasts