Janusz Gortat is dead. The outstanding boxer was 75 years old
Janusz Gortat is dead. He was a titled Polish boxer who won medals at the Olympic Games twice in the past. The man was 75 years old. Information about the death of the former athlete was provided by Andrzej Kostyra.
The boxing world plunged into mourning. Janusz Gortat, a former boxer and Olympic medalist, died at the age of 75. Andrzej Kostyra, a journalist from Super Express, announced the death of the outstanding athlete. “Today the great Polish boxer Janusz Gortat died. Born on November 5, 1948. Two-time Olympic bronze medalist in the light heavyweight division (Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976). Silver in the 1973 European Championships. Six-time Polish individual champion and six-time team champion with Legia Warszawa. 317 fights. 272 wins, seven draws, 38 defeats. “Rest in peace, Janusz,” wrote X on the website.
Janusz Gortat’s achievements
Janusz Gortat was a Polish boxer and two-time Olympic bronze medalist in 1972 and 1976 in the light heavyweight division. In both cases, the boxer born in Brzozów lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champions. First with Mate Parlov (Yugoslavia), and later with Leon Spinks from the USA. During his career, he was the best boxer in Poland in the light heavyweight six times – in 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1980. Moreover, he was second five times in 1969 – in the middle and light heavyweight in: 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1979. In 1977 he won the bronze medal.
Gortat also celebrated triumphs in Europe. In 1973 in Belgrade, he became European vice-champion in the light heavyweight division. He also took part in the European Championships in Bucharest 1969 (middleweight), Madrid 1971 (light heavyweight) and Katowice 1975 (light heavyweight). In 1978 he participated in the world championship. He fought in the middleweight division.
Janusz Gortat was a player of Legia Warszawa and KSZO Ostrowiec Św. After finishing his career, he became a coach and trained, among others, Andrzej Gołota and Tomasz Adamek. Privately, he was the father of former NBA basketball player Marcin Gortat, boxer Robert Gortat and Małgorzata Owczarek.
