Ján Michalko (18 November 1947 – 22 September 2024) was a

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

cross-country skier of Slovak ethnicity. He competed at the

1972 Winter Olympics The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the and commonly known as Sapporo 1972 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside ...

and the

1976 Winter Olympics The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games (, ) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1976 (), were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from February 4 to 15, 1976. The games were awarded to Inn ...

. Michalko studied to be an electrotechnician at SOU elektrotechnické in

Liptovský Hrádok Liptovský Hrádok (; ; ) is a town in northern Slovakia, in the region of Liptov. History First mentioned in 1341, Liptovský Hrádok was named after the nearby castle. The castle, also known as Liptovský Hrádok, was built originally for use ...

. Michalko was the inaugural winner of Biela stopa SNP race in

Kremnica Kremnica (; , ) is a town in central Slovakia. It has around 5,300 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world. Name The name is derived from Slovak '' ...

in 1974, repeating the victory in 1977. In 1975/76 World Cup season, he won bronze with František Šimon and Milan Jarý in Davos 3 × 10 kilometers relay race. As an athlete of Červená hviezda Štrbské Pleso club, he was a member of

Public Security Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...

from 1967 onwards. After retirement, he was the chief of police in

Dolný Kubín Dolný Kubín (; also known by #Names, other names) is a town in northern Slovakia in the Žilina Region. It is the historical capital and the largest settlement of the Orava (region), Orava region. Names The name is derived from the archaic Slov ...

. Between 1990 and 1992, he served as deputy

Minister of Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

Vladimír Mečiar Vladimír Mečiar (; born 26 July 1942) is a Slovak former politician who served as the prime minister of Slovakia from June 1990 to May 1991, June 1992 to March 1994, and again from December 1994 to October 1998. He was the leader of the Movemen ...

, who recalled him failing to follow orders. On 1 September 1999, Ladislav Pittner promoted him into a rank of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

. Michalko died in Slovakia on 22 September 2024, at the age of 76.

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* 1947 births 2024 deaths Slovak male cross-country skiers Czechoslovak male cross-country skiers Olympic cross-country skiers for Czechoslovakia Cross-country skiers at the 1972 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics People from Liptovský Mikuláš District Skiers from the Žilina Region Slovak Lutherans Slovak generals {{Slovakia-crosscountry-skiing-bio-stub