On Sunday (June 19), Ryszard Tomczyk’s anniversary celebration, “40 Years Since the Gold”, was held at Piłsudski Square. Forty years ago, at the European Championships in Madrid, Bolesławiec native Ryszard Tomczyk won the gold medal in featherweight boxing. A boxing ring was set up in the square in front of Sala Forum, and it served as the main stage for Sunday’s anniversary celebration. Among those thanking Ryszard Tomczyk for his successes on the international and domestic stage were the renowned boxing champions present at the celebration: Wiesław Rudkowski, Janusz Gortat, Janusz Zarenkiewicz, Zdzisław Nowak, Józef Grzesiak and Wojciech Bartnik—the last Polish Olympic boxing medalist. Ryszard Tomczyk received thanks and gifts from Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman, Sejm of the Republic of Poland Member Ryszard Zbrzyzny, Commander-in-Chief of the Military Gendarmerie General Mirosław Rozmus, and Commander of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Brigade Colonel Jarosław Kraszewski.
During the anniversary celebration, letters of congratulations for Ryszard Tomczyk were also read out from the Mayor of Środa Śląska and the ambassador of Spain, which hosted the European Championships. It was at those championships that the Bolesławiec native won gold. During Sunday’s celebration, excerpts from Ryszard Tomczyk’s bouts were shown on the large screen. There was also an anniversary cake. The celebration concluded with two exhibition boxing bouts and a match between Muay Thai trainees. Ryszard Tomczyk and the boxing champions attending the celebration also handed out autographs. The anniversary was organized by the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre and the Association of Former Soldiers of the 62 KS Commando.
Ryszard Tomczyk was born in 1950. He worked as a miner. He trained in boxing at BKS Bolesławiec. Tomczyk’s greatest success was gold at the 1971 European Championships in Madrid. In 1973, in Belgrade, the Bolesławiec native became the lightweight runner-up, and in 1975, in Katowice, he won a bronze medal, also in the lightweight division. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Tomczyk won two bouts and lost to future Olympic champion Boris Kuznetsov (USSR). Ryszard Tomczyk was Polish champion three times. In 1971 and 1972, he won the featherweight title. In 1975, he became national champion in the lightweight division. The Bolesławiec native fought 295 bouts: he won 273, drew 2 and lost 20. He represented Poland 15 times. He is an Honorary Citizen of Bolesławiec.
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(information: Marcin Zabawa)