Categories
1952 Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Hungary MAG WAG

1952: A Tri Meet between Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary

In the April of 1952, two of the world’s gymnastics powerhouses—Hungary and Czechoslovakia—faced off during Hungary’s Liberation Day competition. The Hungarian men’s and women’s teams emerged victorious. 

But the pre-Olympics rivalry didn’t end there. Weeks later, the two nations met again, this time in Prague, with Bulgaria joining the fray for a tri-nation showdown. Once again, Hungary reigned supreme, besting Czechoslovakia in a decisive repeat performance.

On the women’s side, the ongoing duel between Hungarian stars Ágnes Keleti and Margit Korondi continued, with Keleti winning the all-around—one more twist in a season-long back-and-forth between the two. But it was on the men’s side that perhaps the biggest revelation emerged: Bulgaria’s Stoyan Koev surprised the competition by claiming second place in the all-around.

Agnes Keleti, 1956