Zdzisław Ludwik Krzyszkowiak (; 3 August 1929 – 23 March 2003) was a Polish

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete, winner of the

3000 metre steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the ...

at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

. Born in

Wielichowo Wielichowo (german: Wielichowo) is a town in Grodzisk Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces ...

Greater Poland Voivodeship Greater Poland Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo wielkopolskie; ), also known as Wielkopolska Voivodeship, Wielkopolska Province, or Greater Poland Province, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 o ...

, Krzyszkowiak won 13 Polish National Championship titles in long-distance and cross-country events. Krzyszkowiak rose to the international athletics scene at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

, where he missed the bronze medal in the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

by 7.4 seconds, finishing fourth. At the

1958 European Championships in Athletics The 6th European Athletics Championships were held from 19–24 August 1958 in the Olympic Stadium of Stockholm, Sweden. Contemporaneous reports on the event were given in the Glasgow Herald. Medal summary Complete results were publis ...

, Krzyszkowiak established himself as one of the best European

long distance runner Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mensur ...

s by winning both the 5000 and 10,000 metres. In 1958, he became the first winner of the European Sportsperson of the Year conferred by the

Polish Press Agency The Polish Press Agency ( pl, Polska Agencja Prasowa, PAP) is Poland's national news agency, producing and distributing political, economic, social, and cultural news as well as events information. The agency has 14 news desks in its headquarters ...

. Just two months before the

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Olympics, Krzyszkowiak ran his first

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

, clocking 8:31.4 in the 3000 m steeplechase. At the Olympics itself, Krzyszkowiak finished seventh in the 10,000 m, but won, as a main favourite, the 3000 m steeplechase. After the Olympics, Krzyszkowiak decided to concentrate on the 3000 m steeplechase event, running his second world record in 1961, but was forced to retire from sports prematurely in 1963 due to injuries. After his running career, he worked as a coach. Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak died in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, aged 73.

Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium Zdzisław may refer to: People * Zdzisław (given name), a Slavic male given name Places * Zdzisław, Lubusz Voivodeship Zdzisław (german: Unruhsau) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Babimost, within Zielona Góra County, ...

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 ...

was named in his honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krzyszkowiak, Zdzislaw 1929 births 2003 deaths Olympic athletes for Poland Polish male middle-distance runners Polish male long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Poland World record setters in athletics (track and field) Recipients of the Olympic Order People from Grodzisk Wielkopolski County Polish male steeplechase runners European Athletics Championships medalists Sportspeople from Greater Poland Voivodeship Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Zawisza Bydgoszcz athletes People from Ostróda 20th-century Polish men