Dzieje sekcji gimnastycznej (English)
Z Historia Wisły
The History of the Gymnastics Section from 1947 to 2006
Gymnastics is one of those disciplines with roots dating back to ancient Greece. It's no wonder that it has been a part of the modern Olympic Games from the very beginning. Therefore, it should also come as no surprise that, when aiming to give their favorite discipline a historical dimension on a club scale, the female gymnasts of Wisła Krakow turned out to be the club's first Olympic medalists in summer events.
To maintain chronological order, we must go back to May 1946. During the club's 40th-anniversary celebrations, gymnastic exhibitions took place. They were organized by the leading Polish gymnast of the interwar period, Jerzy Lewicki. It was at his initiative that the gymnastics section officially began its activities in 1947.
It must be acknowledged that 1947 was an extraordinarily successful year for Coach Lewicki. Not only did he establish the gymnastics section in the oldest Polish sports club, but he also immediately took under his wing a top talent - Barbara Wilk. Just two years later, her exceptional predisposition earned her the first medal at the Polish National Championships: a bronze in floor exercises (she was fifth in the all-around). In 1950, she finished third in the all-around, earning her a spot on the national team for the historic World Championships in Basel, where Helena Rakoczy won the title. In 1951, she achieved a significant feat by winning the title of Polish National Champion in the balance beam!
Barbara Wilk had another success in 1952 when she participated in the Helsinki Olympics. However, upon her return to the country, she faced a setback. A knee injury kept her away from training for 2.5 years. Nevertheless, her strong spirit allowed her to make a comeback in the sport, and the results were impressive. In 1956, she qualified for the national Olympic team for the Melbourne Games. Lidia Szczerbińska, another Wisła athlete, also made the cut. On December 7th, 1956, a significant event took place in distant Australia. The Polish women's gymnastics team won a bronze medal in the team apparatus exercises! They came close to securing the silver medal but fell just two-tenths of a point short of the second-placed Swedes. Nonetheless, the achievement was enormous, and Barbara Wilk-Ślizowska and Lidia Szczerbińska played a significant role in it. Their futures, however, took different paths. Lidia fell in love with the Australian climate to the extent that she permanently relocated there and started a family. She also pursued a career as a gymnastics instructor. Barbara, on the other hand, became an outstanding figure in Wisła's and Polish gymnastics. After ending her competitive career, she devoted herself to coaching at the club, guiding four of her own proteges to Olympic nominations in 1968. Additionally, she was the coach of the national team and served as an international judge from 1962 to 2000, twice being an Olympic arbiter. For her contributions, she was honored with an honorary diploma from the International Gymnastics Federation.
As mentioned earlier, in 1968, the core of the Polish Olympic gymnastics team was formed by Wisła athletes. They were Halina Daniec, Wiesława Lech, Łucja Ochmańska, and Barbara Zięba. This should come as no surprise when you consider their achievements on the national stage. During their careers, they collectively won eleven gold medals in the senior individual Polish National Championships.
Wiesława Lech - In addition to her gymnastics successes, Wisła Krakow owes her significant accomplishments in other areas. In 1973, Wiesława welcomed her daughter, Patrycja. It could be said that, fortunately, she did not follow in her mother's footsteps and chose not to pursue gymnastics. Thanks to this decision, the Polish women's basketball team achieved its greatest success in history (the 1999 European Championship). To clarify, after getting married, Wiesława Lech became Mrs. Lech-Czepiec.
In the 1970s, the legacy of the Mexico City Olympians was successfully taken over by Ewa Hamulewicz and Małgorzata Sosin (an Olympian from Moscow). It's impossible not to mention the person who, for many years, looked after the Wisła gymnasts from an organizational perspective. That person was Adam Koczur, who served as the section's manager from 1966 to 1989. Under his leadership, in 1980, Sławomir Kaliszewski became the coordinator and coach. Interestingly, Sławomir Kaliszewski was a gymnast himself, representing Wisła in the past. Few remember today that even men used to participate in this sport as part of the White Star (until 1972). While they never achieved the same success as the women, their displays during the club's 40th-anniversary celebrations in 1948 laid the foundation for the official establishment of the gymnastics section. Sławomir Kaliszewski was one of Poland's top gymnasts in the late 1960s and early 1970s, being part of the wider squad leading up to the Munich Olympics.
In the 1980s, there seemed to be fewer successes, but the results from the last decade of the 20th century more than made up for it. Most notably, in 1993, after a 23-year break, Wisła gymnasts reclaimed the title of Polish National Champions in the all-around. Anna Michaliszyn achieved this feat, also winning on the bars and the balance beam. When asked about her Olympic plans after this remarkable achievement, she replied that she probably wouldn't compete in Atlanta in 1996 due to her age. She made this statement when she was just nineteen. Such is the reality of gymnasts' lives.
The following year brought an extraordinary situation. Wisła gymnasts won a clean sweep of gold medals at the Polish National Championships! Anna Michaliszyn triumphed in the all-around and on the bars, Anna Woźniak excelled in vault and floor exercises, and Katarzyna Kaliszewska, the daughter of coach Kaliszewski, proved unbeatable on the balance beam.
Katarzyna Kaliszewska's example shows how the skills acquired in gymnastics facilities can be put to use. After her gymnastics career, Kasia pursued fitness and became the world and European vice-champion. Will any generation of Wisła gymnasts match their predecessors' success from 1994? Judging by what is currently happening in the section, there is room for optimism. Furthermore, Wisła gymnasts have already achieved this in the club's anniversary year, although, for now, in the junior category. Perhaps next year... Especially since the situation in the senior categories is also promising. Half of the national team, called up for the 2006 World Championships scheduled for October, is made up of Wisła gymnasts. In the team competition, Wisła gymnasts were crowned champions in 2000, 2001, and 2004, and in the junior category, they have been unbeatable in the country for two years.
"I simply love gymnastics, and what I do gives me immense pleasure. There are moments of fear, and sometimes tears come to my eyes. But you enter and perform the exercise because... there is no other way."
The above statement by Monika Frandofert, who, while still a junior, became the senior vice-champion of Poland, probably best reflects the dedication of Krakow's girls to what they do. Therefore, it seems highly likely that Wisła Krakow will soon regain the championship crown in the all-around (for now, Monika has won the title of the best in the country in floor exercises). Perhaps the distant Beijing will open its doors in 2008 to the agility of the Wisła gymnasts.
