Tomasz Gollob facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tomasz Gollob

Born	(1971-04-11) 11 April 1971 (age 54) Bydgoszcz, Poland
Nationality	Polish
Website	www.gollobracing.com
Career history
Poland
1988, 1990-2003	Polonia Bydgoszcz
1989	Wybrzeże Gdańsk
2004-2007	Unia Tarnów
2008-2012	Stal Gorzów
2013-2014	KS Toruń
2015-2016	GKM Grudziądz
Great Britain
1998-2000	Ipswich Witches
Sweden
1997	Valsarna
2001-2010	Västervik
2011-2013	Hammarby
Denmark
2009	Esbjerg
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
Starts	163
Podiums	53 (22-10-21)
Finalist	66 time
Winner	22 times
Individual honours
2010	World Champion
2005-2012	Speedway Grand Prix winner (22 times)
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009	Polish Champion
1990, 1991, 1992	Polish Under 21 Champion
1996	Continental Champion
1994, 1995, 1997, 2000 2002	Polish Golden Helmet Winner
1990, 2002	Polish Silver Helmet Winner
1995	Jack Young Memorial Cup winner
Team honours
1996	World Team Cup Winner
2005, 2007, 2009, 2010	World Cup Winner
2001	European Cup Champions' Winner
1992, 1997, 1998, 2000 2002, 2004, 2005	Polish Team Champion
1990, 1991, 1993, 1994 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 2000, 2002	Polish Pairs Champion
1998	Elite League Champion
1998	Elite League KO Cup Winner
1998	Craven Shield Winner
2005, 2006	Swedish Elitserien Champion

Tomasz Robert Gollob (Polish pronunciation: [ˈtɔmaʐ ˈɡɔlːɔp]; born 11 April 1971 in Bydgoszcz, Poland) is a former Polish motorcycle speedway rider. He appeared in every Speedway Grand Prix series between its inaugural season in 1995 and 2013. He earned 52 caps for the Poland national speedway team.

Career summary

Site of 2007 plane crash.

Tomasz Gollob spent almost all of his career with hometown club Bydgoszcz until he moved to Unia Tarnów in 2004. He has won the Polish Individual Championship eight times (between 1992 and 2009) and the Polish Pairs Championship ten times. He has also won the Polish Grand Prix eight times in thirteen years. He clinched the Speedway World Championship in 2010 after securing the championship in Terenzano, Italy. He is only the second Pole to ever win the World Championship, following in the footsteps of Jerzy Szczakiel who won in 1973.

Gollob also spent some time in Australia in the early-mid 1990s based at the North Arm Speedway in Adelaide. While In Australia, Gollob would race against many of his future World Championship rivals including Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, and Ryan Sullivan. Gollob is the only World Champion to win the Jack Young Solo Cup held in Adelaide each year in memory of Australia's 1951 and 1952 World Champion, Jack Young. He won the cup in 1995 at North Arm.

On 28 July 1996 he won the Continental Final, which formed part of the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification.

Gollob was also a member of the Poland speedway team that won the World Team Cup in 1996 and the World Cup in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011.

In 2007, Gollob survived a plane crash with fellow rider Rune Holta. The plane, flown by his father Władysław, crashed on the way to a speedway meeting at Tarnów. Gollob escaped with cuts and bruises after pulling his father from the wreckage.

On retirement, Gollob had achieved 22 Grand Prix wins from 1995 until 2012.

In 2017, Gollob suffered serious injuries to head and spine in a motocross accident during a MX event in Northern Poland.

For his sport achievements, he received the Order of Polonia Restituta:

• Knight's Cross (5th Class) in 2000
• Officer's Cross (4th Class) in 2007
• Commander's Cross (2010)

Family

His brother Jacek was also a speedway rider.

World final appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1993 - Pocking, Rottalstadion - 7th - 8pts
• 1994 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 16th - 0pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1993 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Piotr Świst / Piotr Baron) - 5th - 15pts (15)

World Team Cup

• 1994 - Brokstedt, Holsteinring Brokstedt - 2nd - 20pts (16)
• 1995 - Bydgoszcz, Polonia Bydgoszcz Stadium - 6th - 13pts (12)
• 1996 - Diedenbergen, Speedway Arena Diedenbergen - Winner - 27pts (15)
• 1997 - Piła, Stadion Żużlowy Centrum - 2nd - 25pts (13)
• 1998 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 4th - 17pts (15)

World Cup

• 2001 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 65pts (27)
• 2002 - Peterborough, East of England Showground - 4th - 48pts (17)
• 2003 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 4th - 49pts (20)
• 2004 - Poole, Poole Stadium - 4th - 22pts (1)
• 2005 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - Winner - 62pts
• 2007 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium - Winner - 55pts
• 2008 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 46pts
• 2009 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium - Winner - 44pts
• 2010 - Vojens, Speedway Center - Winner - 46pts

Individual Under-21 World Championship

• 1992 - Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Speedway Stadion Pfaffenhofen - 5th - 10pts

Speedway Grand Prix results

Family

Tomasz Gollob has two brothers and one sister

See also

• Poland national speedway team
• List of Speedway Grand Prix riders
• Speedway in Poland