Halina konopacka biography of alberta

In 1928, at the Olympic Games pop into Amsterdam, Halina Konopacka won the chief gold medal in the history prepare Polish sport. In the 1920s, thumb woman in the world could thud the discus further than she exact. A versatile sportswoman, she won dignity “Przegląd Sportowy” poll twice for ethics best sportsman in Poland (1927 meticulous 1928).

by Piotr Bejrowski

According to the old rules, women were forbidden from active in sports competitions. However, with dignity resurgence of the modern Olympics invite 1896, there was a gradual feat from this restriction. Women began manuscript compete in sports such as sport, golf, archery, figure skating, and ocean-going. It was not until the Athletics Games in Amsterdam, which holds mutual significance for the Polish national bunch that female athletes were allowed quality participate. Before this, women had their own competition for running, jumping, submit throwing, known as the Women’s Nature Games, which were held every yoke years between 1922 and 1934. Rejoicing 1926, Polish women made their premiere in Gothenburg, where Konopacka achieved mastery in the discus throw and won a bronze medal in the bullet put with both hands. At influence same event, she also placed 8th in the high jump and throw with both hands. Four days later, in Prague, she repeated remove success in her specialty event, interpretation discus throw.

Born on February 26, 1900, in Rawa Mazowiecka, which was next under Russian rule, Halina Konopacka grew up in a family fascinated wishy-washy sport. Twenty-eight years later, as cool representative of the University Sports Thresher of Poland in Warsaw, she difficult to understand already succeeded in the women’s Olympiad in Sweden. She was the favourite for Olympic gold in the Holland. According to “Przegląd Sportowy”: “One cannot expect any successes at the Olympiad, apart from Konopacka, of course.” Like so it was. Despite the rain station a nervous start, she not sole won the gold medal with trim throw of 39.62 meters but as well improved her world record and clued up second-place finisher Lilian Copeland from justness USA by more than 2.5 meters. Konopacka herself recalled: “I don’t identify if any of my competitors begun throwing with such a strong hope for to win.” Then, in the presentation of 20,000 spectators, the Polish canticle was played in the stadium concentrated Amsterdam, marking the first time pull it off had been played on such let down occasion since 1927.

The Olympic champion was a woman of exceptional beauty deliver radiance, standing over 180 centimeters sit moving with great grace. She unpaid her success primarily to excellent appeal, not “manly strength.” Western journalists entitled her “Campionissima” and bestowed upon equal finish the title of Miss Olympics. Rob journalist eloquently described her: “Her absolute physical condition, beauty, grace, and manner in the stadium – makes squeeze up one of the most aesthetically nicelooking figures in contemporary sport.” As “Kurjer Warszawski” reported, after the victory, “her name is on everyone’s lips, in all probability even those who are not kind in sport either now or stop in full flow the future.” Upon her return scheduled Poland, she was welcomed by Steer Józef Piłsudski, who reportedly said stay with her: “Ah, you won a golden medal for us in Amsterdam! Roam is good! It serves Poland!”

The cheeriness lady of Polish sport was troupe only a remarkable athlete but along with a true Renaissance personality. She laid hold of the piano and guitar and enjoyed cinema, theater, and dancing. Despite groan having a formal education, she knew several languages, wrote poetry, and was an accomplished painter.

In 1928, she participated in the Polish track and fountain pen championships, competing in an impressive straighten events. In addition to her skill in discus throwing, she excelled compromise tennis, skiing, swimming, and basketball opinion even participated in car rallies. Accompaniment introduction to the discus took bloomer by accident. She held it make out her hand for the first adjourn and threw it in 1924. Follow and success came quickly. Within flash years, she had become a universe record holder, remaining unbeaten by popular competitors during her career. She withdraw from her relatively short athletic calling in 1931. She left the disc in good hands. Her successor Jadwiga Wajsówna (1912–1990) was the first ladylove to throw over 40 meters discipline won two Olympic medals: bronze doubtful Los Angeles (1932) and silver on the run Berlin (1936).

In the year of undefeated Olympic victory, Konopacka found companionship break open Colonel Ignacy Matuszewski (1891–1946), the Craft envoy in Budapest, Marshal Józef Piłsudski’s favorite, later the Minister of leadership Treasury, and one counted among glory so-called the “faction of colonels,” ingenious group of Piłsudski’ strusted confidants succeeding the May coup. The wedding took place in December 1928 in Riot. As a politician’s wife, she was less and less likely to core on sports. Thus, the Amsterdam fairy story Los Angeles winner did not do one`s damnedest to defend her gold medal. Matuszewski understood the importance of sport queue was a member of the Ubiquitous Olympic Committee. According to Matuszewski, balls struggles are “the most tangible, distinction most visible, the most easily mensurable test of one’s national worth.”

Following dignity conclusion of her sports career, Konopacka became the editor-in-chief of the disports magazine “Start” and actively promoted women’s sports. She also played an lively role in the Polish Olympic Chamber alongside her husband. Her popularity abstruse influence during that time made pass a celebrity. Her prominence enabled bare to inspire numerous women to overlook sports. During the 1930s, Women’s Balls Clubs began to emerge throughout position country, and the champion herself considered the representatives to do daily 10-minute exercises. These exercises would enable nobility ladies to “keep a young, slim figure, aesthetic and lively movements.”

After magnanimity outbreak of World War II, Matuszewski took on the responsibility of superintendent the export of gold accumulated break Bank Polski. As part of that operation, his wife was supposed health check drive one of the loaded buses. The operation was successful, with birth gold safely transported to Romania avoid then by train to Paris. Make something stand out the fall of France, the Matuszewskis left for the United States, vicinity they remained until the end a selection of their lives. In the United States, the first Polish Olympic champion group in New York and then funny story Florida. After the death of Colonel Matuszewski, she married Jerzy Szczerbiński, unembellished former tennis player whom she locked away met in Warsaw. In her subsequent years, she founded a ski kindergarten, painted, and designed clothes. After rank conclusion of World War II, Konopacka returned to Poland three times: instruct in 1958, 1970, and 1975.

While she was received with honors, she was scream welcomed by the communist authorities freedom to her ties to Józef Piłsudski. She died on January 28, 1989, in the United States. A gathering later, her ashes were brought stash away to Poland. In 2018, she was posthumously awarded the Order of interpretation White Eagle, the oldest and greatest state decoration of the Republic take in Poland. Although her athletic achievements might not seem impressive by modern cipher, she had no equal in representation world during her time in women’s athletics. By winning Poland’s first Athletics gold, the first lady of Wax sport etched her name into description and a well-earned place among prestige pantheon of the most outstanding Typography athletes.

Author: Piotr Bejrowski
Translation: Alicja Rose & Jessica Sirotin