Wiktor Szelągowski (1900–1935) was a Polish

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

. Szelągowski attended gymnasium in

Włocławek Włocławek (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Leslau) is a city located in central Poland along the Vistula (Wisła) River and is bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park. As of December 2021, the population of the city is 106,928. Loc ...

. Shortly after graduating he joined the army for the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

. He was injured and was a prisoner of war for several months. After his recovery, he again followed his passion for sport and joined the Włocławek Rowing Association. He competed at a national level from 1925. For five continuous years from 1929 he was Polish national champion in the

coxed pair A coxed pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat with sweep oars and is steered by a coxswain. The crew consists of two rowers, each having one oar, and a cox. One row ...

with Henryk Grabowski as his rowing partner. He was also national vice-champion with Grabowski in the coxless pair. Szelągowski and Grabowski won two European bronze medals, first at the 1929 European Rowing Championships in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...

, Poland (with Gaworski as cox), and then at the

1932 European Rowing Championships The 1932 European Rowing Championships were rowing championships held on the Sava in the Yugoslav capital city of Belgrade. The competition was only for men and they competed in all seven Olympic boat classes (M1x, M2x, M2-, M2+, M4-, M4+, M8+). ...

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

, Yugoslavia (with Henryk Kawalec as cox). Szelągowski retired from competitive rowing in 1933 due to declining health. He completed training at the

Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw ( pl, Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie, lit=Józef Piłsudski Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw) is a public institution of higher learning in Warsaw ...

as a rowing trainer. He died from long term effects of his war injuries in 1935 before he could commence as a rowing trainer. Szelągowski is buried at the municipal cemetery in Włocławek.

References

1900 births 1935 deaths Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War Polish male rowers People from Włocławek European Rowing Championships medalists {{Poland-rowing-bio-stub