Frank Prihoda
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 July 1921 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Sport | |
| Country |  AUS |
| Sport | Alpine Skiing |
| Event(s) | 1956 Winter Olympics |
Frank Prihoda (born 8 July 1921) is an Australian former alpine skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics, he is the oldest living former Olympian from that country.[1]
Biography[]
Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), in 1921, Prihoda learned to ski with his sister and Olympic skier, Sasha Nekvapil's help[2] and had his 1st downhill race in 1937.[3] In 1936, a year before his downhill race of 1937, Frank began ski racing with the Czechoslovakian Ski Federation squad.[3] Also in 1937 when aged 16, his parents died and he took over the family's artificial flower manufacturing business, managing it throughout World War II.[2]
Along with Sasha Nekvapil and her husband Karel, he defected from Czechoslovakia in 1948, when it became a communist country, first travelling to Austria and then to Australia where he settled. There, they started one of the first ski-lodge businesses in Thredbo, New South Wales.[4] In 1950, Frank and his family boarded a ship to emigrate to Australia, skis in tow, arriving in Melbourne,[3][2]and began working in manufacturing artificial flowers before moving over to the furniture and textile trades.[3] In 1956, he participated in the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.[2]
In 1958, Prihoda became chairman of the race committee of the Victorian Ski Association, before moving to Thredbo to join his family in 1974, where he owned a shop until 2001 at age 80.[2] A year before the closing, in 2000, he carried the Olympic Torch in Thredbo, lighting the cauldron on the Village Green.[2][5] Prihoda still skied until he became 90 years old.[2]
In 2020, a ski run was named after Prihoda.[3] One year later, in 2021, he celebrated his 100th birthday.[2][5][3]
References[]
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Frank Prihoda". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Australia's oldest living Olympian, Frank Prihoda, turns 100 today". ABC. 8 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Katrina Condie, "Thredbo's Olympic legend Frank Prihoda celebrates 100th birthday with advice to be adventurous". About Regional. 7 July 2021.
- ^ Webb, Chrissi (18 June 2014). "Treasured memories of the Angel of Thredbo".
- ^ a b "Australia's oldest living Olympian Frank Prihoda turns 100". The Sentinel Assam. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
External links[]
- Frank Prihoda at the Australian Olympic Committee
- Frank Prihoda at Olympedia
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- 1921 births
- Living people
- Australian male alpine skiers
- Alpine skiers at the 1956 Winter Olympics
- Olympic alpine skiers of Australia
- Czechoslovak emigrants to Australia
- Czech centenarians
- Australian centenarians
- Men centenarians
- Alpine skiing biography stubs
- Australian winter sports biography stubs