Ryszard Szurkowski facts for kids
Ryszard Jan Szurkowski (born January 12, 1946 – died February 1, 2021) was a famous Polish road bicycle racer. Many people thought he was a true legend in the sport of cycling in Poland.
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Ryszard Jan Szurkowski | ||
Born | Świebodów, Poland |
12 January 1946||
Died | 1 February 2021 Radom, Poland |
(aged 75)||
Team information | |||
Discipline | Road | ||
Role | Rider | ||
Major wins | |||
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Contents
Amazing Cycling Achievements
Ryszard Szurkowski was a very successful cyclist. He won many important races and medals.
Olympic Medals
He earned two silver medals at the Olympic Games.
- He won a silver medal in the team time trial at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
- He won another silver medal in the team time trial at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.
World Championship Golds
Ryszard also won three gold medals at the World Cycling Amateur Championships.
- In 1973, he won two gold medals. One was for the individual road race, where he raced by himself. The other was for the team road race.
- In 1975, he won another gold medal in the team road race.
- He also won a silver medal in the individual road race in 1974.
Peace Race Champion
One of his biggest achievements was winning the Peace Race four times. This was a very famous cycling event.
- He won it in 1970.
- He won it again in 1971.
- He won it for a third time in 1973.
- His fourth victory came in 1975.
He also won the Dookoła Mazowsza race twice, in 1977 and 1978.
Later Life and Legacy
Ryszard Szurkowski faced a difficult challenge later in his life.
An Accident and Recovery
In 2018, he had a serious accident during a bike race in Germany. He was badly hurt and his spinal cord was crushed. This left him unable to move his legs. After five months of hard work and therapy, he started to feel some sensation in his toes again.
His Passing
Ryszard Szurkowski passed away on February 1, 2021. He was 75 years old. He is remembered as one of Poland's greatest cyclists.
See also
In Spanish: Ryszard Szurkowski para niños