Władysław Kozakiewicz
Kozakiewicz in 1980
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Polish |
| Born |
8 December 1953 Šalčininkai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |
 Poland
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| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Pole vault |
| Club | Bałtyk Gdynia |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Pole vault: 5.78 m (1980) |
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Medal record
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Władysław Kozakiewicz (born 8 December 1953) is a Polish pole vault jumper, and an Olympic champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Kozakiewicz was born to a Polish family in Šalčininkai, Lithuanian SSR near Vilnius, Lithuania, he broke the pole vault jumping world record three times, was European Indoor Champion in 1977 and 1979, Polish Champion ten times, and won a gold medal during the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
In Poland, the Bras d'honneur became known as "Kozakiewicz's gesture" (gest Kozakiewicza). Kozakiewicz made the gesture on 30 July 1980 to Russian spectators in the stadium during the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The crowd supporting Soviet jumper Konstantin Volkov booed, hissed, jeered, and whistled during Kozakiewicz's performance. Having just secured his gold medal position, Kozakiewicz made the gesture in defiance to the Soviet crowd. He later confirmed his dominance over the competition by breaking the world record, clearing at 5.78 meters.
The photos of this incident circled the globe, with the exception of the Soviet Union and its satellites, although the event was broadcast live on TV in many countries of the Bloc. While international observers varied in their reaction to the incident, Kozakiewicz's act received much support in Polish society, which resented Soviet control over Eastern Europe (Poland was in the midst of labor strikes that led to the creation of the labor union Solidarity less than two months later). After the 1980 Olympics ended, the Soviet ambassador to Poland demanded that Kozakiewicz be stripped of his medal over his "insult to the Soviet people". The official response of the Polish government was that Kozakiewicz's arm gesture had been an involuntary muscle spasm caused by his exertion.
In 1985 Kozakiewicz immigrated to West Germany, where he twice won the national title and worked as a pole vault coach. After the fall of Communism, Kozakiewicz moved to Lithuania.
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Wikipedia