Władysław Zieliński

Władysław Zieliński took up canoeing in 1949 and won his first title at the Polish national champions in 1954 in the K-2 1000 with Henry Broniewicz. He would go on to capture that title in again in from 1959 through 1963 with his brother Jacek, except for the last year, when he was partnered with Stefan Kapłaniak. Zieliński and Kapłaniak also competed in that event at the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics, taking bronze in Rome and being eliminated in the semi-finals in Tokyo.

Zieliński was not limited to this event, however, and at the Games was fourth in the 4x500 metres relay in 1960 and eighth in the K-4 1000 in 1968. He was Polish champion in the latter event in 1956, 1963, 1966, and 1968, whereas in the former event he won the title in 1958, as well as a bronze medal at the 1959 European Championships. At the 1959 Europeans, he was also a bronze medalist in the K-2 500 with his brother, while at the 1961 edition he took silver in that category with Kapłaniak. He was also World Champion in the K-2 500 in 1958 with Kapłaniak. Domestically, he won the Polish K-2 500 titles with Jacek from 1959 through 1961, and with Kapłaniak in 1962 and 1965.

Zieliński’s other national titles came in the K-1 500 (1960), K-2 10,000 (1962 and 1963 with Kapłaniak), K-4 500 (1956, 1963, 1965, and 1966), and the K-4 10,000 (1956). In addition to his gold medal from 1958, he reached the finals of the K-2 1000 and K-1 4x500 at the 1958 Worlds, the K-2 500 and the K-1 4x500 in 1963, and the K-4 1000 in 1966. He ended his career in 1971, due to injuries sustained in a road accident.