Miroslav Cerar

  • Slovenia

Miroslav Cerar competed in three Olympiads - in 1960, 1964 and 1968. Known as the king of the pommel horse event for more than a decade, four of his six world championship medals, and both Olympic gold medals, in 1964 and 1968, came on that apparatus.

Induction Speech Video

During his illustrious career, Cerar has earned the International Olympic Committee's highest honor, The Olympic Order.

MIROSLAV CERAR was recognized the world over for his mastery of the pommel horse. Born in 1937 in Ljubljana, the capitol of Slovenia, Miroslav Cerar was destined to discover gymnastics and dominate Yugoslavian men's gymnastics for an astonishing 14 years.

Cerar was the all-around champion of Yugoslavia beginning as a Junior National Champion in 1956. He was to win the national championship 13 times, and he was honored as the best all-around athlete in Yugoslavia, in all of sport, a total of nine times.

He won his first world championship medal, a bronze, on the pommel horse, as the 1958 World Championships in Moscow. His final gold medal, again on the pommel horse, came at the 1970 World Championships in his hometown of Ljubljana.

During the course of his international career, he won 21 European medals, including 10 golds, to go with his six World and two Olympic gold medals.

Miroslav Cerar competed in three Olympiads - in 1960, 1964 and 1968. Known as the king of the pommel horse event for more than a decade, four of his six world championship medals, and both Olympic gold medals, in 1964 and 1968, came on that apparatus.

During his illustrious career, Cerar has earned the International Olympic Committee's highest honor, The Olympic Order. Since retiring he has served as an esteemed member of the Slovenian Olympic Academy and the Fair Play Commission of the Slovenian Olympic Committee. For the past four years, he has served as a member of the executive committee of the European Fair Play Movement.

1958 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Bronze Medalist:
    • Pommel Horse

1962 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Pommel Horse
    • Parallel Bars

1964 OLYMPIC GAMES

  • Gold Medalist & Olympic Champion:
    • Pommel Horse
  • Bronze Medalist
    • Horizontal Bar

1966 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Pommel Horse
  • Bronze Medalist
    • Parallel Bars

1968 OLYMPIC GAMES

  • Gold Medalist & Olympic Champion:
    • Pommel Horse

1970 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Gold Medalist & World Champion:
    • Pommel Horse

1999 INTERNATIONAL GYMNASTICS HALL OF FAME

  • Inducted as a member of the Class of 1999