Waldemar Baszanowski

Waldemar Romuald Baszanowski (15 August 1935 – 29 April 2011) was a Polish lightweight (-67.5 kg) weightlifter.[1] In 1969, he was chosen the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year.

Waldemar Baszanowski

Baszanowski at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Born	15 August 1935 Grudziądz, Poland
Died	29 April 2011 (aged 75) Warsaw, Poland
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	64–67 kg (141–148 lb)
Sport
Sport	Weightlifting
Club	AZS Warszawa
Medal record Men's weightlifting Representing  Poland Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 5 5 0 European Championships 0 0 0 Total 8 7 0 Olympic Games 1964 Tokyo -67.5 kg 1968 Mexico City -67.5 kg World Championships 1961 Vienna -67.5 kg 1964 Tokyo -67.5 kg 1965 Tehran -67.5 kg 1968 Mexico -67.5 kg 1969 Warsaw -67.5 kg 1962 Budapest -67.5 kg 1963 Stockholm -67.5 kg 1966 Budapest -75 kg 1970 Columbus -67.5 kg 1971 Lima -67.5 kg

Biography

Baszanowski was born in Grudziądz on 15 August 1935. A month after his 25th birthday he competed for the World Championships in his sport. He became over the course of the next ten years the most decorated lightweight weightlifter at international level in the first century of its widespread competition, the 20th century.[1]

Baszanowski set 24 world and 61 national records.[2][3] He won gold medals at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics, five world championships and five silver medals, giving him a total of 10 medals, more than any weightlifter in history (to date).

His first wife Anita was killed in a car accident in 1969, 8 July, in which he was the driver; Baszanowski and his son survived.[1]

In 1993 Baszanowski was inducted into the International Weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame.[4] In 1999, he became the President of the European Weightlifting Federation.

In 2007, Baszanowski fell off a tree in his garden, broke his back and was paralyzed from the neck down. After four years of immobility, he died in Warsaw at the age of 75 on 29 April 2011.[1]

Waldemar Baszanowski tomb in Wałbrzyska street Cemetery, Służew, Warsaw

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Waldemar Baszanowski". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
2. WALDEMAR BASZANOWSKI: Biography. chidlovski.net
3. Mała Encyklopedia Sportu. Warszawa: Sport i Turystyka. 1985. p. 64. ISBN 83-217-2518-X.
4. "Weightlifting Hall of Fame". International Weightlifting Federation. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.

External links

Media related to Waldemar Baszanowski at Wikimedia Commons

• Waldemar Baszanowski at the International Olympic Committee
• Waldemar Baszanowski at the Olympic Channel
• Waldemar Baszanowski at Olympedia
• Waldemar Baszanowski at Lift Up

Olympic Games
Preceded by Teodor Kocerka	Flagbearer for  Poland 1964 Tokyo, 1968 Mexico City, 1972 Munich	Succeeded by Grzegorz Śledziewski