Alfred PROKSCH

Alfred Proksch was born in Vienna to a father from Prague and a mother from Vienna. At age 15 he started to work as an illustrator for Austrian magazines under the pseudonym Fedor Broskow. After his return from World War II where he fought in the Soviet Union, France, and Albania, he became a commercial artist designing posters. Drawing and painting was not only his profession, but also his hobby for the rest of his life. Proksch also became President and later Honorary President of the Bund Österreichischer Gebrauchsgrafiker (Association of Austrian Commercial Artists).

Proksch's second profession during his life was sport. He competed as a pole vaulter at the 1936 Olympics and finished equal sixth. One year later in 1937 at the "British Games", held in London, he won with his personal best of 13-6 (4.11 metres), beating many of the world best pole vaulters. This was also his eighth Austrian record (the first set in 1933) and stood until 1952. In addition he won three Austrian titles in 1933, 1937 and again in 1950 (all in pole vault). Proksch never stopped competing in sports and started in several World Masters competitions from 1994 onwards in shot put and discus throw. In 2009 in Lathi he was the only participant in the age class over 100 years (M100), winning both titles, and was also one of the five protagonists of the documentary movie "Autumn Gold" about European masters athletes.

After the death of his wife Proksch lived in his own flat in Vienna, to the last days of his life. He died from kidney failure aged 102 in a hospital in Vienna. At the time of his death he was the third oldest known Olympic competitor after Walter Walsh and Ivo Pavelić.

Personal Best: PV – 4.11 (1937).