Death of a great master. Polish sport said goodbye to the Olympic medalist

Adam Sandurski was a very famous and exceptionally distinctive athlete during his career. This was mainly determined by two factors – sports class and its dimensions.

Adam Sandurski is dead. This is a huge loss for Polish sport

Sandurski was 214 cm tall and weighed 130 kg, earning respect even among the most successful opponents.

The 8-time Polish champion in the super heavyweight division (1978-1984, 1988) was also a 3-time World Championship medalist – bronze (1981), silver (1982, 1983), finalist of the 1978 World Championships (4th place), 1985 (4th place), silver medalist of the European Championships (1984) and 5-time bronze medalist (1979-1982, 1986) and finalist of the European Championships 1977 (6th place), 1978 (5th place), 1983 (6th place). He achieved his life’s success during the Olympic Games in Moscow (1980), where he won the bronze medal, although – as coach Eugeniusz Najmark claimed – our “slow boy” with the strength of a bear “was one step away from even greater success in Moscow.” He was considered the “good spirit” of the entire wrestling group. He considered sport to be his great life opportunity, which he wanted to take advantage of at all costs. Hence the respect and gratitude for the work of coaches and sports adventure partners. Awarded, among others, Silver Medal for Outstanding Sports Achievements six times. He was a very popular athlete (commonly called the “Giant from Rzeszów”), a multiple winner of the “Golden Belt” award from the “Sport” editorial team for the best freestyle wrestler – this is how Sandurski is described on website of the Polish Olympic Committee.

It is worth adding that Sandurski also competed at the Olympic Games in Seoul (1988), finishing the super heavyweight competition (130 kg) in seventh place among fifteen participants.

After the end of his career, the Olympic medalist went to Germany (then West Germany). He stayed there, living with his family. Although it is a fact that he visited Poland. For example, by visiting Lower Silesia, specifically Mietków, his wife’s hometown.

Sandurski died at the age of 73, in a hospital in Witten, Germany.