Władysław Kozakiewicz

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Medal record
Władysław Kozakiewicz
Men’s Athletics
Competitor for Poland
Olympic Games
Gold	Moscow 1980	Pole Vault

Władysław Kozakiewicz (born December 8, 1953) is a Polish pole vault jumper. Kozakiewicz was born to a Polish family in Šalčininkai (Polish: Sołeczniki) near Vilnius, in the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Kozakiewicz broke the world record three times, was European Indoor Champion in 1977 and 1979, Polish Champion ten times, and won a gold medal during the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In 1984 he defected to West Germany, where he won the national title twice, in 1986 and 1987.

[edit] Kozakiewicz's gesture

In Poland the Italian elbow gesture, known under various names, became known as the "Kozakiewicz's gesture" (gest Kozakiewicza). Kozakiewicz showed it to the Russian public at the stadium during the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The crowd supporting Soviet jumper Volkov booed and whistled during Kozakiewicz's spectacular performance. Having just secured his gold medal position, in an act of defiance justifiably angered Kozakiewicz showed the gesture to the Soviet spectators. He later went on and broke the world record by clearing 578 cm confirming his absolute dominance at the competition. The photos of this incident circled the globe, with the exception of the Soviet Union and its satellites. While the international observers varied in their reaction to the incident, Kozakiewicz's courageous act received unanimous support in the Polish society which for years resented the Russian control over Eastern Europe. The Soviet ambassador to Poland demanded that Kozakiewicz be stripped of his medal for an "insult to the Soviet people". The official response of the Polish government was that the gesture was an involuntary muscle spasm caused by his exertion.

[edit] External links

Kozakiewicz at sporting-heroes.net

v • d • e

Olympic Champions in the Men's Pole Vault

1896: Welles Hoyt • 1900: Irving Baxter • 1904: Charles Dvorak • 1906: Fernand Gonder • 1908: Edward Cook/Alfred Gilbert • 1912: Harry Babcock • 1920: Frank Foss • 1924: Lee Barnes • 1928: Sabin Carr • 1932: William Miller • 1936: Earle Meadows • 1948: Guinn Smith • 1952: Bob Richards • 1956: Bob Richards • 1960: Don Bragg • 1964: Fred Hansen • 1968: Bob Seagren • 1972: Wolfgang Nordwig • 1976: Tadeusz Ślusarski • 1980: Władysław Kozakiewicz • 1984: Pierre Quinon • 1988: Sergei Bubka • 1992: Maksim Tarasov • 1996: Jean Galfione • 2000: Nick Hysong • 2004: Tim Mack

Records
Preceded by Dave Roberts	Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder May 11, 1980 – June 29, 1980	Succeeded by Thierry Vigneron
Preceded by Philippe Houvion	Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder July 30, 1980 – June 20, 1981	Succeeded by Thierry Vigneron
Awards
Preceded by Jan Jankiewicz	Polish Sportspersonality of the Year 1980	Succeeded by Janusz Pyciak-Peciak
Sporting positions
Preceded by Dave Roberts	Men's Pole Vault Best Year Performance 1977	Succeeded by Mike Tully
Preceded by Patrick Abada Philippe Houvion	Men's Pole Vault Best Year Performance 1980	Succeeded by Vladimir Polyakov