Stanislawa Walasiewicz
Encyclopedia
Stanisława Walasiewicz, also known as Stefania Walasiewicz, Stanisława Walasiewiczówna (see Polish name
) and Stella Walsh (3 April 1911 – 4 December 1980) was a Polish
athlete, who became a women's Olympic
champion. It was later learned that Walasiewicz had ambiguous genitalia and could not easily be identified as either biologically male or female.
), Congress Poland
. Her family emigrated to the United States
when she was only three months old. Her father, Julian Walasiewicz, settled in Cleveland, where he found a job as a steel mill worker. Her family called her Stasia, a common Polish diminutive of her Christian name, which later gave birth to the American version of her name, Stella.
newspaper. However, Walasiewicz was not an American citizen and could not obtain citizenship under the age of 21. The success of Halina Konopacka
, a Polish athlete who won gold in the discus throw
at the 1928 Summer Olympics
, inspired Walasiewicz to join the local branch of Sokół, a Polish sports and patriotic organization active among the Polish diaspora
. During the Pan-Slavic meeting of the Sokół movement in Poznań
, she scored her first major international victories. She won five gold medals: in running for 60
, 100
, 200
and 400 metres
, as well as long jump
. She was asked to stay in Poland and join the Polish national athletic team; she also continued to run in various American challenges and games.
In the late 1920s
, she was already a well-known athlete. As an amateur
, she was also working as a clerk in Cleveland. While still not a U.S. citizen, Walasiewicz did participate in, and won, numerous American national championships, usually under the name of Stella Walsh. For her part in interstate athletic championships, the city of Cleveland awarded her a car. She was finally offered American citizenship, probably under the insistence of the Amateur Athletic Union
, whose members envisioned Walasiewicz—or Stella Walsh, as she was referred to in the USA—as a future gold medalist at the 1932 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles
. However, just two days prior to her Oath of Citizenship
, she changed her mind and instead adopted Polish citizenship, offered to her by the Polish consulate in New York
. In 1930, she was chosen the most popular Polish athlete by readers of the Przegląd Sportowy
(Sports Review) daily.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics
, she represented Poland. In both the heats and the semi-finals of the 100 m, Walasiewicz equaled the current world record of 11.9 seconds, a feat she repeated in the final, which she won. The same day, she also finished 6th out of 9 in the discus throw
event. Upon her return to Poland, she almost instantly became a well-known personality. She was welcomed by gigantic crowds in the port of Gdynia
, and a few days later, she was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit for her achievements. She was also again chosen the most popular Polish person in sports, and held that title for three years.
She started the following season of 1933 with an injury, which made her abandon her plans to run in the Polish Skating Championships. However, she quickly recovered and returned to an active career, with a failed run in Prague. In the spring, she appeared at the Championships of Warsaw, where she seized 9 gold medals, including one for 80 metres hurdling, one for 4 x 200 relay, and one for long jump. On 17 September, in Poznań, she beat two world records in one day: 7.4 seconds for 60 m and 11.8 seconds for 100 m. A week later, in Lwów, she beat her own lifetime record of 7.3 for 60 m. Her Olympic success also won her a scholarship at the Warsaw Institute of Physical Education, where she met with some of the most notable Polish athletes of the epoch, including Jadwiga Wajs
, Feliksa Schabińska, Maria Kwaśniewska
, and Janusz Kusociński
.
In the 1936 Olympics
in Berlin
, she attempted to defend her Olympic title; but, as the World Record
holder by now, she was beaten to the title by Helen Stephens
of the U.S. She came in second, in 11.7 seconds. Ironically in hindsight, Stephens was accused of being male and was forced to submit to a genital inspection to prove otherwise. After the Olympic Games, Walasiewicz declared her plans to retire from an active sports career, but changed her mind and instead moved to the U.S., where she resumed her amateur career. During and after World War II
, she continued to appear at various championships, but the days of her spectacular successes were mostly over. After the war, Poland had been overrun by the Soviet Union
, and Walasiewicz decided to stay in the United States. In 1947, she finally accepted American citizenship and married boxer
Neil Olson. Although the marriage did not last long, she continued to use the name Stella Walsh Olson for the rest of her life. She won her last U.S. title at age forty, in 1951, and she was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame
in 1975.
sport associations in the U.S., where she organized championships and helped young athletes. She also funded a variety of awards for Polish sportspeople living in America.
on 4 December 1980, and was killed at the age of 69. An autopsy
showed that she possessed male genitalia, although some sources suggest she also displayed some female characteristics. Detailed investigation has also revealed that she had both an XX and an XY pair of chromosomes
.
The controversy of her biological sex remains unresolved, and the situation is further complicated by the fact that many earlier documents, including her birth record, state that she was female. There was also some controversy as to whether all her records and achievements should be erased.
ordering and conducting gender determination testing on South Africa
n Caster Semenya
, in August 2009. In July 2010 a decision in favour of Semenya was declared, allowing her to compete as a woman.
In Cleveland, on Broadway Avenue, there is a city-owned recreational center named after Stella Walsh. It is attached to Cleveland South High School
. She is buried in Calvary Cemetery
in Cleveland, Ohio.
Polish name
A Polish personal name, like names in most European cultures, consists of two main elements: imię, the first name, or given name, followed by nazwisko, the last name, surname, or family name....
) and Stella Walsh (3 April 1911 – 4 December 1980) was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
athlete, who became a women's Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
champion. It was later learned that Walasiewicz had ambiguous genitalia and could not easily be identified as either biologically male or female.
Background
Walasiewicz was born on 3 April 1911 in Wierzchownia (now in Brodnica CountyBrodnica County
Brodnica County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Brodnica,...
), Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
. Her family emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when she was only three months old. Her father, Julian Walasiewicz, settled in Cleveland, where he found a job as a steel mill worker. Her family called her Stasia, a common Polish diminutive of her Christian name, which later gave birth to the American version of her name, Stella.
Athletics career
She started her athletic career in a public school in Cleveland. Fast and agile, in 1927 she easily won the competition for a place in the American Olympic team started by the Cleveland PressCleveland Press
The Cleveland Press was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer....
newspaper. However, Walasiewicz was not an American citizen and could not obtain citizenship under the age of 21. The success of Halina Konopacka
Halina Konopacka
Halina Konopacka , famous athlete, first Polish Olympic Champion . She took part in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, where she won a gold medal in discus throw breaking her own world record...
, a Polish athlete who won gold in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
at the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
, inspired Walasiewicz to join the local branch of Sokół, a Polish sports and patriotic organization active among the Polish diaspora
Polonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
. During the Pan-Slavic meeting of the Sokół movement in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, she scored her first major international victories. She won five gold medals: in running for 60
60 metres
60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes...
, 100
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
, 200
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
and 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
, as well as long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
. She was asked to stay in Poland and join the Polish national athletic team; she also continued to run in various American challenges and games.
In the late 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
, she was already a well-known athlete. As an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, she was also working as a clerk in Cleveland. While still not a U.S. citizen, Walasiewicz did participate in, and won, numerous American national championships, usually under the name of Stella Walsh. For her part in interstate athletic championships, the city of Cleveland awarded her a car. She was finally offered American citizenship, probably under the insistence of the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, whose members envisioned Walasiewicz—or Stella Walsh, as she was referred to in the USA—as a future gold medalist at the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. However, just two days prior to her Oath of Citizenship
Oath of citizenship (United States)
The United States Oath of Allegiance is an oath that must be taken by all immigrants who wish to become United States citizens...
, she changed her mind and instead adopted Polish citizenship, offered to her by the Polish consulate in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1930, she was chosen the most popular Polish athlete by readers of the Przegląd Sportowy
Przeglad Sportowy
Przeglad Sportowy is the oldest and largest Polish sports daily, founded in 1921 in Kraków. In 1926 it initiated an annual, popular plebiscite for the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year...
(Sports Review) daily.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, she represented Poland. In both the heats and the semi-finals of the 100 m, Walasiewicz equaled the current world record of 11.9 seconds, a feat she repeated in the final, which she won. The same day, she also finished 6th out of 9 in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
event. Upon her return to Poland, she almost instantly became a well-known personality. She was welcomed by gigantic crowds in the port of Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
, and a few days later, she was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit for her achievements. She was also again chosen the most popular Polish person in sports, and held that title for three years.
She started the following season of 1933 with an injury, which made her abandon her plans to run in the Polish Skating Championships. However, she quickly recovered and returned to an active career, with a failed run in Prague. In the spring, she appeared at the Championships of Warsaw, where she seized 9 gold medals, including one for 80 metres hurdling, one for 4 x 200 relay, and one for long jump. On 17 September, in Poznań, she beat two world records in one day: 7.4 seconds for 60 m and 11.8 seconds for 100 m. A week later, in Lwów, she beat her own lifetime record of 7.3 for 60 m. Her Olympic success also won her a scholarship at the Warsaw Institute of Physical Education, where she met with some of the most notable Polish athletes of the epoch, including Jadwiga Wajs
Jadwiga Wajs
Jadwiga Wajs-Marcinkiewicz was a Polish athlete who mainly competed in the discus throw.-Career:...
, Feliksa Schabińska, Maria Kwaśniewska
Maria Kwasniewska
Maria Jadwiga Kwaśniewska-Maleszewska, née Kwaśniewska was a Polish athlete who competed mainly in the Javelin throw....
, and Janusz Kusociński
Janusz Kusocinski
Janusz Tadeusz Kusociński was a Polish athlete, winner in the 10000 m event at the 1932 Summer Olympics....
.
In the 1936 Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, she attempted to defend her Olympic title; but, as the World Record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
holder by now, she was beaten to the title by Helen Stephens
Helen Stephens
Helen Herring Stephens was an American athlete, a double Olympic champion in 1936.Stephens, nicknamed the 'Fulton Flash' after her birthplace Fulton, Missouri, was a strong athlete in sprint events - she never lost a race in her entire career - but also in weight events like the shot put and...
of the U.S. She came in second, in 11.7 seconds. Ironically in hindsight, Stephens was accused of being male and was forced to submit to a genital inspection to prove otherwise. After the Olympic Games, Walasiewicz declared her plans to retire from an active sports career, but changed her mind and instead moved to the U.S., where she resumed her amateur career. During and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she continued to appear at various championships, but the days of her spectacular successes were mostly over. After the war, Poland had been overrun by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and Walasiewicz decided to stay in the United States. In 1947, she finally accepted American citizenship and married boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Neil Olson. Although the marriage did not last long, she continued to use the name Stella Walsh Olson for the rest of her life. She won her last U.S. title at age forty, in 1951, and she was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
in 1975.
Post-athletics career
After her retirement, she continued to be active in a variety of PolishPolonia
The Polish diaspora refers to people of Polish origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language as Polonia, which is the name for Poland in Latin and in many other Romance languages....
sport associations in the U.S., where she organized championships and helped young athletes. She also funded a variety of awards for Polish sportspeople living in America.
Death and controversy
Walsh was a bystander in an armed robbery in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
on 4 December 1980, and was killed at the age of 69. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
showed that she possessed male genitalia, although some sources suggest she also displayed some female characteristics. Detailed investigation has also revealed that she had both an XX and an XY pair of chromosomes
XY sex-determination system
The XY sex-determination system is the sex-determination system found in humans, most other mammals, some insects and some plants . In this system, females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome , and are called the homogametic sex. Males have two distinct sex chromosomes , and are called...
.
The controversy of her biological sex remains unresolved, and the situation is further complicated by the fact that many earlier documents, including her birth record, state that she was female. There was also some controversy as to whether all her records and achievements should be erased.
Legacy
The case of Stanisława Walasiewicz is often regarded as one of the reasons why the IOC has gradually dropped gender determination tests. However, the issue is once again of importance with the International Association of Athletics FederationsInternational Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
ordering and conducting gender determination testing on South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Caster Semenya
Caster Semenya
Mokgadi Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner and world champion. Semenya won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 in the final....
, in August 2009. In July 2010 a decision in favour of Semenya was declared, allowing her to compete as a woman.
In Cleveland, on Broadway Avenue, there is a city-owned recreational center named after Stella Walsh. It is attached to Cleveland South High School
South High School (Cleveland, Ohio)
South High School is a public high school located in Cleveland, Ohio in the historic Slavic Village neighborhood. It is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Opened in 1894, it is the second high school established in the city and is currently the oldest...
. She is buried in Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery (Cleveland, Ohio)
Calvary Cemetery is the largest Roman Catholic cemetery in Cleveland, and one of the largest in Ohio. It is operated by the Catholic Cemeteries Association and was dedicated on November 26, 1893. The original purchase of land was approximately . There are now over 305,000 interments and the...
in Cleveland, Ohio.