Anna Hřebřinová

Anna Hřebřinová was a Czechoslovak gymnast and athlete who was a pioneer in women’s sports. During her career Hřebřinová won multiple medals in track and field and also won an Olympic medal as a gymnast. In her youth Hřebřinová represented the athletics clubs of Sportovní klub Slavia Praha and Sokol Královské Vinohrady, both based in Praha. Hřebřinová focused on sprint events and the long jump.

In 1927 at the Czechoslovak Championships Hřebřinová won silver in the 4x100 metres relay and bronze in both the 200 metres and the long jump. The following year Hřebřinová won her first gold medal at the national championships in the 4x100 metres relay. From 1929 to 1931 Hřebřinová won a further nine medals on the track including two more relay golds. In 1930 Hřebřinová became the Czechoslovak champion in the 4x100 and 4x200 metre relay races, setting a national record in the latter event.

In 1931 Hřebřinová competed at the Olimpiadi della Grazia (“Olympics of Grace”), an international event for women in Italy, where she won two bronze medals in relay events. As a gymnast Hřebřinová represented Czechoslovakia at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The Czechoslovak team won the silver medal in the all-round event. Hřebřinová’s last medal in athletics came in 1939 when she won the bronze medal in the 100 metres at the Czechoslovak Championships.