Janusz Gortat Obituary-Death; Polish Boxer, Two-Time Olympic Bronze Medalist Dies At 75.

Publish date: 2024-05-03

Legendary Polish boxer Janusz Gortat, who twice won bronze in the light heavyweight division at the Olympics (1976 and 1972), died on Tuesday at the age of 75.

“With deep regret, we announce the death of Janusz Gortat, an outstanding Polish boxer. Born on November 5, 1948, he was a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (Munich 1972, Montreal 1976) and the silver medalist of the European Championships in 1973. He dominated the ring for years, winning a total of six individual Polish championships and six times with the Legia Warsaw team,” stated the Polish Boxing Association on Tuesday.

Legia Warsaw reported that over his 317 fight career, Gortat had 272 wins, 7 ties, and 38 losses.

The boxing federation highlighted that Gortat favored a defensive fighting approach and was well-known for his superb technique. He kept up his contributions to Polish boxing development even after he retired.

“His approach to sport and professionalism were an inspiration for many young boxers. After retiring, he became a coach for Legia Warsaw, training, among others, Andrzej Gołota and Tomasz Adamek. In 1972, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit, and in 2007, he received the Aleksander Reksza Award. His departure is a painful loss for Polish sports as a whole,” it was added.

The famed basketball player and former NBA athlete Marcin Gortat was the son of the accomplished boxer.

ncG1vNJzZmigkarAorrEsGWcp51ju6h7yZqlrquqYrSwvtOaq2ankp7Btq3RsmSdnZGptW68zqWgrKBdl7y5sdFmq7CnXam2rrGMqKOypaCesG6u0ails51dorKlrcuiqq1llJ6ytHnArWRwbV8%3D