Out of six consecutive appearances representing Poland in the trap shooting tournament at the Olympics, Adam Smelczyński was most successful in his first, when he won silver in 1956 behind Italy’s Galliano Rossini. If the 1906 Intercalated Games are discounted, then he was one of only three individuals at the time to have competed at six editions of the Games as a shooter (the others being Frans Lafortune of Belgium and Bill McMillan of the United States). Internationally, he was most successful at the European Championships, taking gold individually in 1972 and 1976 and bronze in 1974 and 1975, as well as team silver in 1964 and 1972 and bronze in 1955. He was also an individual bronze medalist at the 1967 World Championships. Domestically, he won 12 Polish national championships: 1956, 1958-60, 1962-63, 1966-68, 1970, 1971, and 1976.
Smelczyński was introduced to sport shooting at the age of eight, but dabbled in numerous sports before taking it up seriously after World War II, under the tutelage of former Olympian Bolesław Gościewicz. By career he was a dentist, but also reached the rank of colonel in the Army. In 2016 he fell ill and doctors had to amputate both of his legs in order for him to survive.
Poland