Maria Shmidtova ( czech. Marie Schmiedtová ), who changed her surname to Shmidova ( czech Šmídová ), and in marriage received the surname Mikova ( czech. Miková , April 19, 1907–1963) - a Czechoslovak athlete, table tennis player, winner of world championships. Her sports career began under the pseudonym Maria Masakova ( czech. Marie Masáková ).
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Biography
She was born in 1907 in Prague ( Austria-Hungary ), her parents were Vaclav Schmidt and Matilda Schmidt (nee Besserova), therefore, according to the rules of the Czech language, Maria’s surname was written as “Schmidtov”. After independent Czechoslovakia was formed, the grown-up Maria preferred that her last name sounded like Czech, not German, and from Schmidtova became Schmidova.
At that time, sport was not considered a woman’s business, and the girls doing it were not very well watched, so the young Maria preferred to perform under a pseudonym as “Maria Masakova”. She was fond of football, discus throwing, handball. After she was hospitalized unconscious as a result of a collision with a handball teammate, she left handball and focused on table tennis. From 1929 to 1936, she participated in eight world championships and won 14 medals. After the unsuccessful season of 1937/1938, she ended an active sports career.
On December 17, 1932, Marie Shmidova married Ladislav Mika, an insurance employee from Prague. The marriage was childless, and in 1937 the couple divorced. Since 1938 she was engaged in the business associated with children's shoes. After World War II, she rented a restaurant with her friend, near which she and her friend lived in a common room.
There is no information about the last years of her life. According to her nephew, she died in the mid-1960s.
Notes
- ↑ Victories in singles in competitions held under the auspices of ITTF: World Cup, World Championship, stages of ITTF World Tour , ITTF World Tour Grand Finals