Marian DONAT

The best year of judoka Marian Donat's career was 1980. Balancing on the edge of the Extra-Lightweight (-60 kg) and Half-Lightweight (-65 kg) divisions, his first international tournament was the 1980 Europeans, in which he placed 5th in the -60 kg division. This qualified him for the Moscow Olympics, where he bowed out in his first contest. He then switched to the -65 kg division, and immediately claimed the Polish title. Through 1984, Donat would continue to medal at the Polish Championships, but never again competed internationally. Following his retirement, he coached the top competitors of his own club, Czarni Bytom. In this capacity, he played a role in the success of his brother-in-law, Waldemar Legień, who won judo gold in 1988 and 1992.