Stanislava Valasevich is a Polish athlete who has become a multiple winner of the Olympic Games and has set a large number of records, including world-class ones. Despite the worldwide fame and recognition, after the death of an athlete, her merits fell into doubt. Why could this happen?
Biography: childhood
Stanislava (Stefania) Valasevich was born on April 3, 1911 in the small Polish city of Verkhovnya. During the baptismal rite, the baby was given a holy name - Stephanie. Soon after the child is 3 months old, the family (father - Julian, mother - Veronika Uskinsky-Valasevich) decides to move to the United States of America. Here the girl gets a new name - Stella Walsh.
Youth and sports interest
The family settled in Ohio, the city of 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 the classroom 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 received a place in the Olympic team. She was included in the American team at the Olympics next year. However, during the paperwork it was discovered that the girl did not have the citizenship of the United States of America, which she could get only after reaching 21 years. For this reason, her candidacy was removed from the list.
In the 20s, the Polish athlete Stanislava Valasevich acts as an amateur. At this time, she lives and works as a clerk in the American city of Cleveland. Despite the lack of American citizenship, she represents the interests of America and is constantly winning. Once, the athlete even received a car from the state as a reward.
First big win
The Polish athlete did not despair after being expelled from the Olympic team. She strove for success with even greater dedication. The victory of G. Konopatska (the athlete representing Poland, who won the discus throw competition) inspired Stanislav to join the ranks of members of the local Sokol club, as well as to Polish sports organizations. At the competitions of the Pan-Slavic movement, Stanislav Valasevich wins his first major victory (she received 5 gold medals). Thanks to her victories, the athlete is becoming popular. She is invited to stay in Poland and become one of the players in the local sports team. Stanislava agrees and trains for several years and speaks on behalf of the Warsaw clubs. In 1930, Stanislava Valasevich received the title of best Polish athlete of the year, according to readers of the local newspaper. Two years later, the athlete becomes a contender for the Polish State Prize in the field of sports.
1932 Olympics
Before the Olympics in 1932, the United States, confident in the next victory of the Polish athlete, suggested that she accept citizenship and officially represent America's interests in competitions. However, a few days before the execution of all documents, Stanislava changes his decision and takes Polish citizenship. There were no problems with paperwork, because the whole procedure took place at the Polish Consulate in New York.
Los Angeles (1932) brought her another good fortune - Valasevich becomes the winner again. She was able to set a world record in running at her distance already in the semifinals. In the final, the athlete repeated her result, for which she received a gold medal. In parallel, the athlete takes part in discus throw competitions, where she takes 6th place.
The 1932 Olympics was an event that made the athlete realize that she had felt Polish all her life and was proud of it. The decisive actions and recognition of the athlete became the reason for her great popularity at home. Upon her return, she was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit.
Competitions in Warsaw
In 1933, the Polish athlete Stanislava Valasevich went to the championship in Warsaw. Here she gets injured, but, despite this, returns with 9 gold medals. At the same time, she sets several world records in short distance running (60 and 100 meters). After 7 days, the athlete breaks her own record in the 60-meter run.
Victories only push the athlete to move forward. She enters the institute at the Faculty of Physical Education. Here she studies with many equally famous athletes (Maria Kvasnevskaya, Jadwig Weiss and others).
Failure in Germany
The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 did not bring the champion another gold medal. She took second place, losing to Helen Stevens. Stanislava Valasevich was so upset by the incident that she tried to accuse her opponent of the fact that she was actually a man. Stevens was very tall and had a 43rd foot size, which led to doubts about her gender. The Polish athlete even managed to get a check carried out, which, however, confirmed the fallacy of her opinion. The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 were a disappointment for the Olympic champion. She even thought about quitting sports, but she changed her mind in time.
European Championship 1938
In 1938, women were first allowed to participate in such a championship. Stanislava Valasevich is rehabilitated and wins 4 medals (2 gold and 2 silver).
Another victory
At the international competitions for 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. She became a world record holder 14 times. 1946 was the final year for Valasevich in 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 local citizenship.
Family life of an athlete
After returning to the United States of America, the athlete was able to establish her family life. She is getting married to 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 performing under the double surname - Walsh-Olson.
After the divorce, Valasevich’s relationship with men did not lead to serious consequences, the famous athlete continued to live with her mother.
Ending a sports career
1951 was the year of the completion of the champion's sports career. She won the long jump competition, becoming the US champion in this kind of athletics.
In 1975, Stanislava Volosevich, the Olympic champion, became a member of the Sports Hall of Fame of America.
Public life
After leaving professional sports, Valasevich began to work as a coach. She devoted all her time to public life. In parallel with work, she worked in American Polonium. The former Olympic champion tried to support novice athletes and often became a sponsor of awards for Polish athletes living in the United States of America.
The last years of the athlete's life
Stanislav Valasevich did not forget about her homeland. She visited native places. The last time she visited Poland in 1977 was a guest of the Third Sports Games. Despite his already advanced age, Valasevich became one of the participants in the games, choosing a distance of 60 meters. On this trip, the champion presented the local museum of sports and tourism with all her sports awards, which scored 60 pieces. She also planned to visit the Fourth Sports Games, which were to be held after 4 years. This was not destined to happen.
On December 4, 1980, the Olympic champion died. She was killed. According to the media, this happened during the robbery of the store. The bandit received resistance from the owner of the supermarket and ran out into the street, where he saw an elderly woman.
On that day, Stanislava Valasevich was also in the store, where she purchased ribbons for decorating the gym of the local club (public life occupied the bulk of the woman’s life). She just got into her car. The robber attacked the famous athlete, but suddenly the lady resisted him. Not expecting this, the man fired.
A woman and a man
According to American law, in the event of a person dying unnaturally, an autopsy is performed in the morgue. So it happened this time. As a result of the examination, the doctors managed to establish an unexpected fact: the athlete is both a woman and a man at the same time. She revealed the external sexual characteristics of a man who were not fully developed. And after receiving the results of blood tests, she established the presence of chromosomes of both sexes. Sometimes this happens: nature is mistaken, and instead of the predominance of one set of chromosomes, they are mixed, and hermaphrodite is born.
In the sports environment, a gender scandal erupted. After all, personal and social life is what you want, but achievements in sports among female rivals are another story. The public and sports associations were divided into two camps: those who began to consider the rewards of Stanislava Valasevich undeserved, and those who demanded that everything be left as is. Despite extensive discussions and information in the media, a decision on the issue was never made.
In December 1980, a funeral service took place, after which the Olympic champion was buried in Calvary at a cemetery in the American city of Cleveland.
In the US state of Ohio, in the city of Cleveland, a recreation park named after Stella Walsh was created.
How could this happen?
In the 1930s, no gynecological tests were carried out before sporting events. Then it was believed that the appearance of the participant can be reliably determined by external signs.
In addition, all Valasevich’s documents clearly indicated that she was a woman. Even her birth certificate has survived.
This was a big mistake of sports associations and clubs, and subsequently such gender scandals have occurred more than once.
Only in 1966, at the World Championships in Athletics, was the first time a gender test was carried out on the participants in the competitions.