In addition to his triumph in Munich, Mácha also won silver in the Greco-Roman style in the category up to 74 kg at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where he started four times under five rings. In 1974 in Katowice he delighted in the title of world champion and won gold three years later in Gothenburg. The same year, he also won the continental championship, he finished second twice and third twice in the EC.

“The information about the death of Vítězslav Mácha touched me deeply. Vítězslav was the only Czechoslovakian wrestler to stand on the Olympic podium with a gold medal around his neck, later he was able to add a silver medal to it “He became a two-time world champion, he brought home gold, silver and even bronzes,” expressed his sorrow, the president of the Wrestling Association, Robert Mazouch.

“We were aware of his deteriorating health and had high hopes for his improvement. However, that did not happen and today, a role model that every wrestler wants to be close to has passed away. Today, a wrestling legend struggle has passed away, but he will live forever in our hearts,” Mazouch added in a statement to ČTK.

The native of Krmelín in Frýdecko-Místek started competing at the age of fourteen in Vítkovice. At first he tried national handball, admired Emil Zátopek and Gustav Frištenský, but when he learned two wrestling moves from Mácha in a book, it was definitely decided which sport he would practice.

He made his debut on the international scene during the 1967 European Championship in Minsk. Macha's promising career was hampered by various injuries. He was weakened by an infection at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, he broke a rib before the 1971 World Championships, and the same thing happened to him at the 1972 European Championships, where he ultimately won his first major medal thanks to third place, but had to abandon the fight for the final.

Health problems haunted him even before the Olympic Games in Munich, in which he participated with a defeat to the Bulgarian Ivan Kolev. But he won the next four duels, despite injuring his shoulder during a duel with the Frenchman Daniel Robin. Mácha considered not competing in the final, but he ultimately defeated Greek favorite Petros Galaktopoulos and won the first and so far only Czech wrestling gold medal at the Olympics.

“I tried to prepare as best as possible for every match, whether at district level or at the Olympics. I always went all the way,” Mácha said in a recent interview for Bojová magazine umění.

He professed the philosophy that the path to victory is through defeats. But he also saw second place as a failure. And he did not forgive himself for an unsuccessful finale for the rest of his life. Not because of the defeat on the mat, but because of his behavior. “There were also enough failures. But the first one that I regretted and that I still regret today was when I was in Poland as a pheasant during an international tournament. In the final , I faced the European champion of the time, a fighter from the GDR, I was ahead in the match, but I underestimated the end”, recalled Mácha.

“I knew what he was going to do, I charged him, but I underestimated him and couldn't handle him and lost the match. At that moment, my future wife was there with me, at that time we were not married. yet and we were just dating. I received the silver medal, such a beautiful carved vase, and as I was angry with myself- I even hit the vase on the ground. I was really sorry for the way I behaved,” Mácha described.

Mácha bid farewell to the mat with a sixth place finish at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He, however, remained involved in the game, first as a coach and then in the years 1993-1996 as president of the local association. He was inducted into the World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019.