Marek Petrusewicz

Marek Petrusewicz ( born January 22, 1934 in Vilnius, † October 3, 1992 ) was a Polish breaststroke and two-time world record holder in this swimming style.

Swimming Achievements

Petrusewicz ' world records over 100 m breaststroke date of 18 October 1953 ( 1:10,90 min. ) And 23 May, 1954 ( 1:09,80 ) and were both set up in Breslau. Petrusewicz broke both times its major competitors and four -time world record holder in this discipline Vladimir Ivanovich Minaschkin from. Here, the Fédération Internationale de Natation saw ( Fina ) causes at this time to several rule changes for the breast stroke (see notes to the list of swimming world records over 100m breaststroke ). Petrusewicz preferred over a long immersion phase compared to today allowed 15 yards and dived on the short track not on sometimes.

He participated with the Polish team at the European Swimming Championships 1954 in Turin and won there the silver medal over 200 m breaststroke in 2:42,5 min. behind the East German athletes Klaus Bodinger ( 2:40,9 ). At the Summer Olympics in Helsinki in 1952, he won a medal.

1977 turned the director Filip Bayon with well-known actors, including Andrzej Trzaskowski and Jan Pietrzak, under the title record świata a film about the athletes.

Medical history

Due to health problems at Thrombangiitis obliterans Buerger Petrusewicz lost both legs. The amputation of the first place in 1967, after which he could recover so far that it was enough to Disabled competitions for successful participation. The amputation of the second leg was required after a decline in health in the martial law period in Poland on the basis of arrest and attacks by ZOMO Nationals 1983.

1986 Petrusewicz suffered a stroke with left-sided paralysis and loss of speech.

Political commitment

Petrusewicz joined early in the Solidarity trade union to. In December 1981, he was beaten at a demonstration and spent two weeks in an unheated prison cell. This was probably one of the reasons for a second outbreak of Winiwarter - Buerger's syndrome, which eventually led to the amputation of the second leg in 1983.

Private

Petrusewicz ' birthplace Vilna had to leave with his parents after the Soviet taking of Lithuania. Petrusewicz was married twice and had a daughter from his first marriage. In his second marriage he was connected with the actress and singer Joanna Rawik. In his lifetime alcohol dependence and loss of control played a not insignificant role. In the final phase of his life could not cheer the successes of the second Polish swimming world record holder Artur Wojdat and not converted political situation in his country him.

The swimming successes of his young grandson Łukasz wójt he could not get with.