Zygmunt Chychla
Encyclopedia
Zygmunt Chychła (November 5, 1926 in Danzig (Polish Gdańsk
) - September 26, 2009 in Hamburg) was a Polish boxer. He won the first post-World War II Olympic gold medal for Poland.
In 1939 he began training at the Polish boxing club Gedania. During the war he lost his Gdansk citizenship and was compulsorily conscripted into the Wehrmacht
in 1944. In France he deserted and joined the 2nd Polish Army, led by general Władysław Anders, in Italy. He returned to Poland in 1946.
In 1947, he made his debut with the national boxing team of Poland, led by famous coach Feliks Stamm
. He started at the 1948 London Olympic Games
and reached the quarterfinal. In 1951 he won the European Amateur Boxing Championships
in Milan. He was chosen the best Polish Sportspersonality of the Year in a Plebiscite of the Sport Review.
Chychła won the gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki beating in the final a representative of the Soviet Union, Sergei Scherbakov
. On the way to the final, he won against Julius Torma
(Czechoslovakia), the Olympic Champion from London in 1948 and the European Champion from Oslo in 1949. In the same year he was again selected by the Plebiscite of the Sport Review.
After the Olympic Games, he found out that he was ill with tuberculosis. He decided to resign from sports. However, not wanting to lack a competitor at the European Championships of 1953 in Warsaw, the Polish sports authorities introduced him by mistake, claiming that the disease had backed off. He again won the gold medal there. However, due to lack of treatment, Chychła's tuberculosis worsened, causing a considerable pit in his lungs. Debilitated, he ended his sporting career in 1953. In the early 1970s, he emigrated to Germany.
He boxed 17 times for the national team of Poland (15 fights won and 2 lost). In his career, he fought 263 fights: 241 won, 10 tied, and 12 lost.
He was awarded the Honourable Citizen of City of Gdańsk title in 2003.
Zygmunt Chychła died September 22, 2009 in Senior's House in Hamburg
.
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
) - September 26, 2009 in Hamburg) was a Polish boxer. He won the first post-World War II Olympic gold medal for Poland.
In 1939 he began training at the Polish boxing club Gedania. During the war he lost his Gdansk citizenship and was compulsorily conscripted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in 1944. In France he deserted and joined the 2nd Polish Army, led by general Władysław Anders, in Italy. He returned to Poland in 1946.
In 1947, he made his debut with the national boxing team of Poland, led by famous coach Feliks Stamm
Feliks Stamm
Felix Stamm was a prominent Polish boxing coach.In 1923-1926, he was a boxer at the club Pentatlon in Poznan. He rolled down 13 official fights as well as about 30 show fights. Then he became a boxing coach Felix (Papa) Stamm (14 December 1901, Kościan – 2 April 1976, Warsaw) was a prominent...
. He started at the 1948 London Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and reached the quarterfinal. In 1951 he won the European Amateur Boxing Championships
European Amateur Boxing Championships
The European Amateur Boxing Championships is the highest competition for boxing amateurs in Europe, organised by the continent's governing body EUBC, which stands for the European Boxing Confederation...
in Milan. He was chosen the best Polish Sportspersonality of the Year in a Plebiscite of the Sport Review.
Chychła won the gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki beating in the final a representative of the Soviet Union, Sergei Scherbakov
Sergei Scherbakov
Sergei Semyonovich Scherbakov was a boxer from the Soviet Union.He competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, in the welterweight event, where he finished in second place....
. On the way to the final, he won against Julius Torma
Július Torma
Július Torma was an ethnic Hungarian boxer competing for Czechoslovakia. He won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1948 for Czechoslovakia in the category up to 67 kg. He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics .Torma defeated Hank Herring of the United States in the 1948 final...
(Czechoslovakia), the Olympic Champion from London in 1948 and the European Champion from Oslo in 1949. In the same year he was again selected by the Plebiscite of the Sport Review.
After the Olympic Games, he found out that he was ill with tuberculosis. He decided to resign from sports. However, not wanting to lack a competitor at the European Championships of 1953 in Warsaw, the Polish sports authorities introduced him by mistake, claiming that the disease had backed off. He again won the gold medal there. However, due to lack of treatment, Chychła's tuberculosis worsened, causing a considerable pit in his lungs. Debilitated, he ended his sporting career in 1953. In the early 1970s, he emigrated to Germany.
He boxed 17 times for the national team of Poland (15 fights won and 2 lost). In his career, he fought 263 fights: 241 won, 10 tied, and 12 lost.
He was awarded the Honourable Citizen of City of Gdańsk title in 2003.
Zygmunt Chychła died September 22, 2009 in Senior's House in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Olympic results
- Defeated Pierre Wouters (Belgium) 3-0
- Defeated José Luis Dávalos Noriega (Mexico) 3-0
- Defeated Július TormaJúlius TormaJúlius Torma was an ethnic Hungarian boxer competing for Czechoslovakia. He won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1948 for Czechoslovakia in the category up to 67 kg. He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics .Torma defeated Hank Herring of the United States in the 1948 final...
(Czechoslovakia) 2-1 - Defeated Günther HeidemannGünther HeidemannGünther Heidemann was a boxer from Germany. He was born in Berlin.He competed for Germany in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland in the welterweight event, where he finished in third place....
(West Germany) 2-1 - Defeated Sergei ScherbakovSergei ScherbakovSergei Semyonovich Scherbakov was a boxer from the Soviet Union.He competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, in the welterweight event, where he finished in second place....
(Soviet Union) 3-0