The world of Polish wrestling is mourning the loss of Janusz Tracewski, a remarkable athlete and legendary coach, who passed away on Saturday in Warsaw, just two days after his 88th birthday. Tracewski’s death was announced by the Polish Wrestling Federation.
Born on June 27, 1936, in Adampol, Tracewski had a distinguished career as a wrestler, competing for Unia Brzeg Dolny and later AZS AWF Warsaw. He won the Polish championship in freestyle wrestling in the 79 kg category and became a two-time national runner-up in Greco-Roman wrestling.
After completing his studies at the Warsaw University of Physical Education, Tracewski transitioned to coaching. From 1963 to 1969, he coached at Gwardia Warsaw and then led the national Greco-Roman wrestling team until 1980. Under his guidance, Polish wrestlers achieved remarkable success, securing a total of 56 medals in the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships.
Following his coaching career, Tracewski held several significant positions in Polish sports administration. He served as the Director of the Department of Competitive Sports at the Office of Physical Culture and Sports, the head of the Polish Olympic Committee’s Olympic missions, and a member of the FILA Coaching Commission. He also directed the Training Department of the Polish Wrestling Federation.
Tracewski authored numerous instructional publications on wrestling, including the notable “Wrestling: On the Road to Mastery” in 1976. His contributions to the sport were recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Knight’s Cross (1972), Officer’s Cross (1976), and Commander’s Cross (1988) of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In 2017, he was inducted into the Polish Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Janusz Tracewski’s legacy lives on through the countless athletes he trained and the indelible mark he left on Polish wrestling.