Czech Olympian Ferdinand DANIS celebrates 80th Birtday

Ferdinand DANIS (CZE)

Renowned Czechoslovakian gymnast Ferdinand DANIS celebrated his 80th birthday on January 1, 2009!
Danis is one of the most well-known and decorated gymnasts of Czechoslovakia.

Born on the first day of 1929 in the small town of Opatova - in modern day Slovakia - young Ferdinand first discovered gymnastics in the Czech Republic region of Moravia.
He was quickly tagged for his natural talent, particulary by coaches from the ATK and Dukla Prague Clubs.

*Our Czech GYMmedia correspondent Prof. Anton Gajdoš wrote a short biography...:

... the young Ferdinand Danis
(c) Gajdoš

Ferdinand DANIS was born1929, January 1st in small village Opatova in Slovakia. After some month he mouves with his parents to Moravia-Czech and here he began with gymnastics. He was the great talent and later he make the gymnastics training in army and his great results start in club ATK,UDA and Dukla Prague freom 1952 - 1964.

>> Ferdinand Danis participated in three Olympic Games (1952, Helsinki, 13th AA; 1956, Melbourne, 13th AA; 1960, Rome, 15th AA) and the World Championships of 1954 Rome (29th) and 1958 Moscow (12th) and at the third European Championships 1959.

Ferdinand DANIS, 1952 - an elegant and versatilely athlet!

There, at the Europeans in Stockholm, at the age of thirty (!), he was fourth in all-around, behind Yuri Titow (URS), Pavel Stolbov (URS) and Philipp Fuerst (GER) and he was the Vice European Champion at the parallel bars, only beaten by champion Titov.
Later Ferdinand Danis became a prominent coach in Czechoslovakia, at the well-known club "Dukla Prague".

Today, Ferdinand Danis and his wife Alina Chadimova-Danisova, also a former gymnast and Olympian 1952, Helsinki (3rd Team TCH; 20th AA;) enjoy a peaceful life of retirement in Prague.
* Prof. Anton Gajdoš, CZE