Bronislaw MALINOWSKI

Along with Anders Gärderud, Bronisław Malinowski was the world’s best steeplechaser in the 1970s. Malinowski made his international début at the 1970 European Junior Championships, where he won the 2,000 m steeplechase title. At the 1971 European championships, Malinowski was eighth over 5,000 m and at the 1972 Olympics, finished fourth in steeplechase. Malinowski won steeplechase golds at both the 1974 European Championships and 1975 Universiade, but at the 1976 Montréal Olympics, he lost narrowly to Gärderud, who won in world record time.

Malinowski defended his European steeplechase title in 1978 and then won silver at the 1979 International Cross-Country Championships. The high point of Malinowski’s career was at the 1980 Olympics, where he won gold, in what was his last major international competition. Less than a year after his Olympic triumph, Malinowski died in a car accident. Domestically he was a seven-time Polish champion – 5K in 1972-73 and 1975; and steeplechase in 1973-74, 1978 and 1980.

Personal Bests: 1500 – 3:37.42 (1978); 5000 – 13:17.69 (1976); 3000S – 8:09.11 (1976).