Janusz Pyciak-Peciak

Janusz Gerard Pyciak - Peciak ( born February 9, 1949 in Warsaw ) is a former Polish Modern pentathlete, the 1976 Olympic champion in the individual competition.

Pyciak - Peciak began his career in 1968 at the only Polish Association for Modern pentathlete, Lotnik Warsaw, after he had applied for a newspaper ad. Overall, Lotnik then eleven athletes were supervised. At the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, he finished with 4817 points 21st place in the individual competition, the Polish team reached the eighth place. Four years later, at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, he was able to overtake with a third place in the final cross-country race, the shunting before him competitors. He won with 5520 points and 35 points ahead of Pawel Lednjow from the Soviet Union. With the Polish team he finished fourth.

At the World Cup 1977 in San Antonio Pyciak - Peciak won with 5484 points, ahead of Lednjow and his compatriot Slawomir Rotkiewicz. In the team competition, the Poles won with a total of two points ahead of the Soviet team. For the double world champion Pyciak - Peciak was voted athlete of the year. 1978 in Jönköping won Lednjow before Pyciak - Peciak, in the team competition won by the Poles before the surprising team from the Federal Republic of Germany, the Soviet team was only third parties. 1979 in Budapest Pyciak - Peciak was again runner-up, losing to the Americans Bob Nieman.

At the Olympic Games in 1980 Pyciak - Peciak was sixth in the individual competition and reached the fourth place team. On the way home World Cup in 1981 in Zielona Góra he could repeat his success from 1977 again. With 5662 points, 13 points ahead of the Italians Daniele Masala, he won in the individual, the team won superior before the Hungarians and the Italians. For this double success Pyciak - Peciak was chosen as 1977 Sportsman of the Year.

The only 1,71 m large gym teacher was eight times Polish Champion: 1974-1977 and 1980-1983.