Zbigniew Pietrzykowski is the best known Polish boxing hero, winning three Olympic medals in 1956-64, with two bronze medals in 1956 and 1964. In 1960 he was unfortunate to meet Cassius Clay in the final, losing to the future Muhammad Ali, but winning a silver medal. At the European Championships, Pietrzykowski competed five times, winning a medal each time, including four golds in 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1963. He was an 11-time Polish champion, winning the light-middleweight division in 1954-56, the middleweight class in 1957, and as a light-heavy for seven consecutive years – 1959-65. Pietrzykowski fought 350 amateur fights, winning 334, drawing 2 and losing 14.
After his competitive career, Pietrzykowski trained boxers for the teams of BBTS, GKS Katowice, and Wisla Cracow. He also became a member of the Polish Parliament (1993-1997), serving as vice-chairman of the Sports Committee. In 1986, Pietrzykowski became the first winner of the Aleksander Reksza Boxing Award.
Poland