Piotr Dłucik (English)
Z Historia Wisły
Piotr Alfred Dłucik was born on April 2nd, 1954, in Katowice. He began his career at GKS Naprzód Janów from 1966 to 1972. He was the first Polish medalist at the European Junior Championships, winning silver in 1969. However, his youth achievements did not translate into success on the international stage in senior competitions. During the 1972 Olympics in Munich, he only competed in the preliminaries. After the Olympics, he moved to Krakow, where he represented the Biała Gwiazda (White Star) club from 1973 to 1977 under the guidance of Włodzimierz Kękus.
During his years in Janów and Krakow, he became a six-time Polish champion in the 100-meter backstroke, broke the Polish record 11 times in the 25-meter pool, and 13 times in the 50-meter pool.
In 1977, he retired from competitive swimming but remained involved in the sport. He started working at the Krakow School of Sports Mastery and assisted Coach Choynowski when his student, Agnieszka Czopek, won a bronze medal in Moscow, the first Olympic medal in Polish swimming history.
In 1981, Dłucik left Poland and went to Germany. In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza, he explained, "I wanted to live a normal life. In Poland, I was annoyed by the pervasive corruption, deals, and scheming in even the smallest matters."
In Kannstatt near Stuttgart, he worked as a swimming coach until 1991. He then moved to VfL Sindelfingen, a leading club in Germany. At that club, the Kutscher brothers, Martin and Paul, Uruguayan expatriates living in Germany, learned the art of swimming. As a result, thanks to their recommendation, Dłucik became the coach of the Uruguayan national swim team, which competed at the Athens Olympics. He also trained several German representatives.
Piotr Dłucik is a graduate of the Katowice University of Economics but never worked in his trained profession. His daughter, Anna, is also a highly skilled swimmer and a graduate of Passau University. During her studies, she had to complete one semester at a foreign university and chose sociology at Jagiellonian University.
Piotr Dłucik - "Being the First"
He was born on April 2nd, 1954, in Katowice. His home club was Naprzód Janów. Despite less than ideal conditions for swimming in Silesia (he trained in Katowice-Nikiszowiec, in a pool measuring 16.33 meters in length, located in a mining bathhouse), he won a silver medal in the 1969 European Junior Championships in Vienna in the 100m butterfly stroke. This made him the first Polish medalist of this caliber event. In 1971, he moved to Krakow, and although he formally continued to represent Naprzód for another year, his further development was mainly attributed to Wisła Kraków.
On August 28th, 1972, Piotr Dłucik, as the first swimmer representing a club from Krakow, had the honor of standing on the starting block during the Olympic competition. This occurred at the XX Summer Olympics in Munich. In his heat in the 100m backstroke, he finished sixth, which placed him 25th overall out of 39 competitors. He also competed in the 4x100m individual medley relay, where the Polish team finished in 15th place.
In the following years, Piotr Dłucik continued to impress with his performance. Between 1973 and 1977, representing Wisła Kraków, he won seven Polish national titles (six in backstroke, one in butterfly). His successes were, quite naturally, recognized in the swimming community, and in 1973, he was named Swimmer of the Year. In the same year, he began his studies in commodity science at the University of Economics. In 1978, he concluded his sports career by competing in the Winter Polish Championships. During his career, he broke the Polish record 11 times in the short pool and 13 times in the long pool.
The end of his active swimming career did not mean parting ways with the sport he loved. In 1978, he began working as a coach at the Krakow School of Sports Mastery, assisting Coach Jacek Choynowski. He worked with Agnieszka Czopek, contributing to her historic achievement, the first Olympic medal for a Polish female swimmer.
In 1980, he became the coordinator coach at Jordan Kraków. A year later, he moved to Germany. In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza years later, he explained his decision, saying, "I wanted to live a normal life. In Poland, I was annoyed by the pervasive corruption, deals, and scheming in even the smallest matters."
From 1983 to 1991, he was the coach of the SV Cannstatt team, and since 1991, he has held a similar position at VfL Sindelfingen. Many of his athletes have achieved medals at the German, European, and World Championships. His proteges have also earned accolades at the South American Championships due to the Uruguayan representatives. Piotr Dłucik was the coach of the Uruguayan national team, accompanying them to the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004. While his swimmers didn't secure medals there, who knows... Perhaps in the future, with another team, Piotr Dłucik will achieve his life's success as a coach. After all, the motto "Being the First" continues to guide his life.
This article is based on the memories of Piotr Dłucik, authored by Dariusz Zastawny, and was published in the book "Małopolski Okręgowy Związek Pływacki - 85 lat."
