Which Czech gymnast won men's rope climbing gold at the 1924 Paris Olympics?

Bedřich Šupčík won the men’s rope-climbing gold medal for Czechoslovakia at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

The final took place on July 20, 1924, at the Stade Olympique. Šupčík reached the top in 7.2 seconds, narrowly beating France’s Albert Séguin, who finished in 7.4 seconds. Switzerland’s August Güttinger and Czechoslovakia’s Ladislav Vácha shared the bronze medal after recording 7.8 seconds.

Rope climbing was an unusual Olympic gymnastics discipline rather than a standard apparatus event. The 1924 competition attracted 70 gymnasts from nine nations and was judged primarily by speed. Performances also contributed points to the individual and team all-around competitions.

A common mix-up is confusing Šupčík with Vácha, another Czechoslovak gymnast who medaled in the same final. Šupčík was the champion, while Vácha shared third place. Rope climbing appeared at the Olympics only four times: in 1896, 1904, 1924, and 1932.