Stanislava Valasevich, Polish track and field athlete: biography, sporting achievements, gender scandal

Stanislava Valasevich is a Polish sportswoman who has become a multiple winner of the Olympic Games, having set a large number of records, including world-class ones. Despite the worldwide fame and recognition, after the death of the athlete her merits were called into question. Why could this happen?

Biography: childhood

Stanislava (Stephanie) Valasevich was born on April 3, 1911 in the small Polish town of Verkhovna. During the rite of baptism, the baby was given a holy name - Stefania. Soon after the child was 3 months old, the family (father - Julian, mother - Veronica Ussinskie-Valasevich) decides to move to the United States of America. Here the girl gets a new name - Stella Walsh.

Youth and sporting interest

The family settled in Ohio, Cleveland. Here Stella began to go to a local school. It was at this time that the girl began to play sports and fell in love with him. Her first hobbies were basketball and volleyball. Already at this time, Stella showed great success in her studies and stood out for her physical fitness among her peers.

Soon the girl switched her strength and attention to athletics. In 1927, at the age of 16, she receives a place in the Olympic team. She was included in the number of participants in the national team of America at the Olympics next year. However, during the processing of documents, it was discovered that the girl did not possess the citizenship of the United States of America, which she could receive only after reaching the age of 21. For this reason, her candidacy was removed from the list.

In the 1920s, Polish sportswoman Stanislav Valasevich appeared as an amateur. At this time she lives and works as a clerk in the American city of Cleveland. Despite the absence of American citizenship, she represents the interests of America and constantly wins. Once, as a reward, the sportswoman even got a car from the state.

The first big victory

The Polish athlete did not despair after being expelled from the Olympic team. She was even more committed to success. The victory of G. Konopatskaya (athlete, representing Poland, who won the competition for discus throwing) inspired Stanislav to join the ranks of members of the local club "Sokol", as well as to Polish sports organizations. At the competitions held in the Pan-Slav movement, Stanislav Valasevich scored his first major victory (she won 5 gold medals). Thanks to her victories the sportswoman becomes popular. She is offered to stay in Poland and join the local sports team. Stanislaus agrees and for several years trains and performs on behalf of the Warsaw clubs. In 1930, Stanislav Valasevich received the title of the best Polish athlete of the year, according to readers of the local newspaper. Two years later the sportswoman becomes an applicant for the Polish State Prize in the field of sports.

The Olympics of 1932

Before the Olympics in 1932, the United States, confident of another victory of the Polish athlete, offered her to take citizenship and officially represent America's interests in competitions. However, a few days before the completion of all documents, Stanislav changes his decision and accepts Polish citizenship. Problems with the registration of documents did not arise, because the whole procedure was held in the consulate of Poland in New York.

Los Angeles (1932) brought her another luck - Valasevich again becomes the winner. She was able to set a world record in running at her own distance already in the semifinals. In the finals, the athlete repeated her result, for which she won a gold medal. In parallel, the sportswoman takes part in competitions on discus throwing, where she takes 6th place.

The Olympics of 1932 was an event that made the athlete realize that she had felt Polish for her whole life and was proud of it. The decisive actions and recognition of the sportswoman became the reason for her immense popularity at home. Upon her return, she was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit.

Competitions in Warsaw

In 1933, Polish athlete Stanislav Valasevich sent to the championship in Warsaw. Here she gets injured, but despite this, comes back with 9 gold medals. At the same time, she sets several world records in the running for short distances (60 and 100 meters). After 7 days the athlete beats his own record in the run for 60 meters.

Victories only encourage the athlete to move forward. She goes to the institute for the sports faculty. Here she is trained with many equally famous athletes (Maria Kvasnevskaya, Yadvig Weiss and others).

Failure in Germany

The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 did not bring the champion another gold medal. She finished second, behind Helen Stevens. Stanislav Valasevich was so upset by what happened that she tried to blame her opponent for being a man. Stevens was very tall and had the 43rd foot size, which was the reason for doubts about her gender identity. The Polish athlete even managed to obtain an audit, which, however, confirmed the fallacy of her opinion. The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 became a disappointment for the Olympic champion. She even thought about quitting the sport, but changed her decision on time.

European Championship of 1938

In 1938 for the participation in such a championship for the first time were admitted women. Stanislav Valasevich is rehabilitated and wins 4 medals (2 gold and 2 silver).

Regular victories

At the international competitions among women, the athlete received 7 medals (4 gold and 3 silver). She was a multiple champion of competitions held in Poland, where she set 54 records. Became a world record holder 14 times. 1946 was for Valasevich final in the speeches from the Polish side. The following year, at the age of 36, she decides to move to America for permanent residence and immediately takes on local citizenship.

Family life athletes

After returning to the United States, the athlete was able to establish her family life. She marries an American boxer - Harry Neil Olson. But the marriage was not destined to last long. Despite the fact that the relationship did not work out, Stanislava decided to continue to act under a double surname - Walsh-Olson.

After the divorce of the relationship, Valasevich with men did not lead to serious consequences, the famous athlete continued to live with her mother.

Completion of sports career

1951 was the year of completion of the sports career of the champion. She won in the long jump competitions, becoming the US champion in this kind of track and field athletics.

In 1975 Stanislava Volosevich, the Olympic champion, became a participant in the Hall of Sports Glory of America.

Public life

After leaving the professional sport, Valasevich began to work as a coach. She devoted all her time to public life. In parallel with the work she worked in American Polonia. The former Olympic champion tried to support young athletes and often became a sponsor of awards for Polish athletes living in the United States of America.

The last years of a sportswoman's life

Stanislav Valasevich did not forget about his homeland. She visited her native places. Last time she visited Poland in 1977, becoming a guest of the Third Sports Games. Despite the already old age, Valasevich became one of the participants of the games, choosing a distance of 60 meters. On this trip, the champion gave all the sports awards to the local sport and tourism museum, which accumulated 60 pieces. Stanislav Valasevich also planned to attend the Fourth Sports Games, which were to be held in 4 years. It was not meant to happen to this.

December 4, 1980, the Olympic champion died. She was killed. According to the media, this happened during the robbery of the store. The bandit got resistance from the supermarket owner and ran out into the street, where he saw an elderly woman.

Stanislav Valasevich was also in the store that bought tapes for decorating the sports hall of the local club (social life occupied the main part of a woman's life). She just got into her car. The robber attacked the famous athlete, but unexpectedly the lady resisted him. Not expecting this, the man fired.

A woman and a man

According to American law, in case of death of an unnatural person in the morgue, an autopsy is performed. So it happened this time. As a result of the examination, the doctors managed to establish an unexpected fact: the sportswoman is both a woman and a man at the same time. She had external male sex signs that were not fully developed. And after receiving the results of blood tests, she had the presence of chromosomes of both sexes. Sometimes this happens: nature is mistaken, and instead of the predominance of one set of chromosomes, their mixing takes place, and the hermaphrodite is born.

In the sports environment a gender scandal broke out. After all, personal and social life is what you want, but achievements in sports among women rivals are another story. The public and sports associations were divided into two camps: those who began to consider Stanislav Valasevich's rewards undeserved, and those who demanded to leave everything as it is. Despite extensive discussions and information in the media, a decision on the issue was never made.

In December 1980, there was a funeral service, after which the Olympic champion was buried in Golgotha in a cemetery in the American city of Cleveland.

In the US state of Ohio, in Cleveland, a park named after Stella Walsh was established.

How could this happen?

In the 30 years before the sports events there were no gynecological examinations. Then they believed that by external signs and so you can reliably determine the gender of the participant.

In addition, all the documents of Valasevich clearly said that she was a woman. Even her birth certificate has survived.

This was a big mistake of sports associations and clubs, later similar gender scandals occurred more than once.

Only in 1966 at the World Athletics Championships was the first time a check was made on the gender belonging of the participants in the competition.