Anton MALEJ

Anton Malej joined the Slovenian Sokol club at age 14, and by 1926, aged only 18, he was already a member of the senior team. Malej competed at the 1928 Olympics, winning a silver medal in the team competition. His best individual performances were on the rings and pommelled horse, finishing =15th on both apparatuses.

In 1929 Malej was in Petrovaradin doing his military service. He returned to Ljubljana in 1930 and competed for Yugoslavia at the World Championships in Luxembourg. Unfortunately, Malej fell on his dismount from the rings, while competing outdoors in the rain, and sustained a spinal injury. He never recovered from this injury and died in hospital in Luxembourg only a few weeks later on 15 June 1930. Since 1970 the Malej Memorial, an annual gymnastics tournament, has been held in Ljubljana. Streets in both Ljubljana and Bohinjska Bistrica are named in his honor.