Waldemar Baszanowski

:: 1/28/2015: frank howgate, dewsbury west yorks, england
one of my idols saw him in 1962 at the bawla jubilee tournament along with other all-time greats he will never be forgotten rip

:: 12/2/2011: Steve Wanvig, Burnsville MN, USA
With the death of 'Baz' another of the brightest lights of the lifting world is extinguished forever. There will never be a greater representative of this great sport. He was the personification of athleticism: lean, fluid, strong, fast, clean-cut, a true superstar. He was one of the last elite-calibre athletes to employ the split clean and the squat snatch. Jerry West's silhouette is used for the NBA logo; Basz would have served excellently in a similar role. If you saw him away from the platform, out in public, you would have probably mistook him for a professor or attorney, but the clothes hid those superbly efficient muscles. He was like most Polish lifters, being 'ripped to shreds', and would have been a superstar in any sport he tried. We'll miss you, Basz! God bless you and your family.

:: 4/29/2011: YVON CHOUINARD, , Canada
Olympic weightlifting champion dies Waldemar Baszanowski, one of Poland's most successful athletes, died this morning in a Warsaw hospital following a long illness. He was 75. Baszanowski's glory days were the 1960s, when the Polish champ scooped two Olympic gold medals (Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968) and five World Championship titles. He set a staggering 25 world records over the course of his career, and in 1969 he was voted best Polish athlete. After his own career came to a close, Baszanowski switched to the role of trainer. He was ultimately inducted into the International Weightlifting Hall of Fame and in 1999, he was elected President of the European Weightlifting Federation. Baszanowski's life was not without tragedy. In 1969, his wife Anita was killed in a car crash whilst the athlete was behind the wheel. Their six- year-old son was also in the car, but the boy escaped with injuries. In an international poll conducted in 1997, he was named the third best weightlifter of all time, after Naim Suleymanoglu of Turkey and Imre Földi of Hungary. After finishing his career, he worked as a lecturer at the Academy of Physical Education and a coach, both in Poland and abroad. He served as the coach of the Indonesian national team for several years. In 1999 he was elected President of the European Weight-lifting Federation.

:: 4/29/2011: YVON CHOUINARD, , Canada
I note with sadness the following story from Poland's 'Polskie Radio' on 29 April 2011. NOTE: You are on this mailing list but if you do not wish to receive further messages at any time please email me and I will remove you immediately. Regards, YVON CHOUINARD CANADA SOURCE: Michael Noonan

:: 4/29/2011: fromPoland, www ww, poland
Waldemar Baszanowski died in the morning in Warsaw hospital. Honory dla Pana, Panie Baszanowski !!!!!!

:: 12/21/2010: Daniel Robitaille, Ottawa Ont, Canada
It was my great honour to present to Mr Baszanowski the Elite Weightlifting Club t.shirt I had made with en emblem of him split cleaning. I presented this to him while we met in Greece in1999. May God bless you Waldelmar.

:: 3/24/2010: Steve Wanvig, Burnsville Minnesota, USA
A true weightlifting immortal. One of my all-time heroes. If they had dropped the press earlier than 1972, he might have had several more titles. It saddens me to hear of his serious accident. I pray for the recovery of this great, great man and great athlete. If anyone can come back, it's him. God Bless You, 'Baz'!

:: 8/14/2009: arthur chidlovski, boston ma, usa
happy birthday to mr. Baszanowski! i have to say i have no information on the accident last year. it's very sad to hear that.

:: 8/14/2009: Jakub Hesitant, Grudziadz Poland, Poland
Waldemar Baszanowski in the past year has been a serious accident. It is completely paralyzed. Tomorrow 15.08 celebrates 74 birthday. I wish to return to health.

:: 8/10/2009: Bara, Vancouver , Canada
His physique is phenomenal

:: 8/10/2009: Bara, Vancouver , Canada
this man is my hero

:: 8/16/2007: SURRINDER S. Dhah, Fresno ca., U.S.A.
Waldemar Baszanowski, was employed as a Physical Education teacher in a school. He used to drink a lot of milk, and his coaches used to call him by the nick name of ' The Milk Man'. He never snatched 153 kgs.

:: 8/16/2007: SURRINDER S. Dhah, Fresno ca., U.S.A.
Waldemar Baszanowski, was employed as a Physical Education teacher in a school. He used to drink a lot of milk, and his coaches used to call him by the nick name of ' The Milk Man'.

:: 5/12/2007: Keith Penney, Goldcoast QLD, Australia
You have an error with the 1968 total. 135+153+165 do not equal 437.5 His 1967 WR snatch was 135.5 and 1969 it became 136. He never snatched 153. Thank you.

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