Bronisław Malinowski (athlete)

Bronisław Malinowski

Malinowski in 1976
Personal information
Nationality	Polish
Born	(1951-06-04)4 June 1951 Nowe, Poland
Died	27 September 1981(1981-09-27) (aged 30) Grudziądz, Poland
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	3000 metres steeplechase
Club	Olimpia Grudziądz
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Poland Olympic Games 1980 Moscow 3000 m steeplechase 1976 Montreal 3000 m steeplechase European Championships 1974 Rome 3000 m steeplechase 1978 Prague 3000 m steeplechase Summer Universiade 1975 Rome 3000 m steeplechase European Junior Championships 1970 Paris 2000 m steeplechase

Bronisław Malinowski (4 June 1951 – 27 September 1981) was a Polish track and field athlete, who is best known for winning a gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase race during the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, Soviet Union and the silver four years earlier in Montreal. One year after his last Olympic appearance, Malinowski was killed in a car accident in Grudziądz, at the age of 30.

Malinowski was born in Nowe to a Polish father Anastazy Malinowski, and a Scottish mother, Irene Malinowska (née Dovell). He was named after the famous anthropologist. Throughout most of his career he competed for Olimpia Grudziądz. His first international medal was the 2000 metres steeplechase gold at the 1970 European Junior Championships. In his first major senior competition, the 1971 European Championships, he broke the national 5000 metres record which was enough for the eighth place.

He finished fourth at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, but came back to win gold at the 1974 European Championships. The period between the European Championships and the 1976 Summer Olympics, saw a rivalry emerge between Malinowski and Swedish athlete Anders Gärderud. It ended with Malinowski taking silver behind the first-place Gärderud who won in a world-record time.

Although Gärderud retired from the sport in 1976, Malinowski faced a new contender, Henry Rono of Kenya, who set the new world record in 1978. Still, Malinowski beat Rono in a head-to-head race that same season. In the autumn of 1978, he successfully defended his European Championship in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Prague. The pinnacle of Malinowski's career came during the 1980 Summer Olympics when he took gold in the 3000 m steeplechase race by steadying himself against front-runner Filbert Bayi.