"Run, Bronek, run...! Bronisław Malinowski (1951-1981). Olympic champion. Athlete" at the Museum in Grudziądz

In Spichrz (Granary) No. 17 we are presenting a permanent exhibition devoted to the outstanding athlete Bronisław Malinowski from Grudziądz. – "Run, Bronek, Run...! BRONISŁAW MALINOWSKI (1951-1981) – OLYMPIC CHAMPION – ATHLETE".
Bronisław Malinowski was a 22-time representative of Poland in international competitions from 1971-1980. In the middle of the exhibition hall there is a glass case presenting the cups received by the hero of the exhibition. On the walls, on the other hand, the medals he won were displayed in chronological order. Following the path marked out by the athletics track placed on the floor of the Hall, we come to the screen where the most famous run of Bronisław Malinowski at the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 is shown.
Bronisław Malinowski was born on 4 June 1951 in Nowe nad Wisłą. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Rulewo. There, on his daily way to the primary school in Warlubie, young Bronek discovered a passion for cross-country and long-distance running. Wishing to pursue his passion, in 1967 he began training in long-distance running in the Grudziądz Sports Club "Olimpia". Already as a junior he competed and won medals in the youth category at the Polish Championship.
On the right side we can see the Sports Health Book of Bronisław Malinowski documenting his first steps in professional sport and the medal won during the tri-match in Chorzów in 1967. In 1968 he finished fourth in the 3000 m race at the Polish Junior Championships, and two years later he won the youth race under 20 for the "Życie Warszawy" Cup. It was not a coincidence; in the next Janusz Kusociński Memorial he repeated his success. The discipline that Bronisław Malinowski liked was cross-country running.

International cross-country running began to be organized only from 1973. Until then, he competed in local contests.
In the exhibition, directly under the year 1970, there is a Gold Medal, which Bronisław Malinowski won at the I European Junior Athletics Championship in Paris. It was the first junior event for Bronisław Malinowski, to confirm that he is a player with enormous possibilities and talent. In the future, he also performed at other distances, including the 10,000 m. However, obstacle course soon became his specialty. This competition in the junior category took place over a distance of 2,000 m, and in the senior category – 3,000 m. He made his senior debut in August 1971 at the European Athletics Championship in Helsinki, Finland. He finished eighth in the 5,000 m.

In the further part of the exhibition there is a Commemorative Medal gainedby Bronisław Malinowski at the Olympic Games in Munich. After the elimination games, Bronisław Malinowski was in a group of twelve athletes who were to fight for the coveted Olympic gold. Unfortunately, he lost the fight for Olympic medals in the last 300 meters although he was leading from the start. He reached the finish line as fourth. Next to it we can see a medal from the European Indoor Championships in Rotterdam in 1973. It was another important step in Bronisław Malinowski's career. Although he did not win a medal place in these Championships, he showed up at the qualifying heat, taking 5th place. Thus, he was in the final group. The final heat ended with Bronisław Malinowski taking the 8th place. It certainly wasn't the place the runner was hoping for, but the experience he gained in this competition paid off the following year.

Heading in a clockwise direction, we encounter the Gold Medal won by Bronisław Malinowski at the European Championship in Rome in 1974. Bronisław Malinowski surprisingly won this medal. The day before his crowning distance of 3,000 m steeplechase, he took part in a 10 km run. He took 4th place in it. This was a huge surprise for his opponents. The next day, he passed the classification for his most important race at that time without any problems. Three days later, a run took place in which Malinowski showed his greatness. In the middle of the distance, he decided to tear apart the field of runners and dictated a murderous pace until the very end of the run. An attempt to deprive him of victory at the last obstacle by his rival Anders Gardrud failed and Bronisław Malinowski won the Gold Medal of the European Championship in an amazing style.

On the next wall under the year 1976 there is the Silver Medal won by Bronisław Malinowski at the XXI Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. The Commemorative Medal from these Games was hung below. On the adjacent wall, however, we can see the original starting number of our Olympian at these games. From the beginning of the year it was known that the player's strength was growing every day. Everyone was aware that at the Olympics he would fight for a medal position. Earlier, he tried his hand at qualifying for the 1,500 m race. Unfortunately, he ran below his capabilities. On July 25, there were elimination games for his flagship distance - 3,000 meters over obstacles. He managed to enter the final start, although his opponents Anders Garderud and Frank Baumgartl, fought hard to take away his primacy.
On July 28, the final heat took place, where Bronek took the lead in the middle of the distance. 340 m ahead of the finish line, Garderud overtook Malinowski, followed by Baumgartl. However, the last obstacle for the latter rider turned out to be unlucky. He lost his balance and fell over while overcoming it. Bronisław Malinowski finished second and won the Olympic silver medal.
Heading forward, we reach the Gold Medal from the European Athletics Championship, which took place in Prague. Below we can also see the Commemorative Medal, too. The men's 3,000 metres steeplechase was one of the events held at the 1978 European Championships in Prague. From the beginning of the race, he dominated the field and with a two-second advantage over his next rival, he crossed the finish line. It was a race that established Malinowski's position in the world as the best runner at this distance.

Continuing the tour clockwise, we come to the medals located on the right side of the shutter. At the top there is the Gold Medal for the 3000 m steeplechase won at the 1978 Nations Cup in Tokyo. Heading towards the greatest achievement of Bronisław Malinowski, we pass various decorations and diplomas. We reach his the greatest success, i.e. the Gold Medal for the 3,000 m steeplechase in the XXII Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980. Malinowski began preparations for the Olympics in January 1978. The results obtained at the previous competitions indicated an increasing form of the player. With a considerable overburden of time, he passed the qualifying rounds for the semi-final heat.

In the semi-final run, he let the African runners win. He did not want to overstrain the body before the final, which took place two days later. On July 31, 1980, at the Olympic Stadium in Luzhniki, Bronisław Malinowski played a sensational final duel with Tanzanian Filbert Bayi. The first 1,000 m they were running at the same pace, but without attacking the leading position. The Tanzanian dictated a murderous pace. After 2000 m, Bayi had an advantage over Malinowski 50 m and almost 6 seconds. The last 800 m surprised everyone watching the run. 150 m before the finish line Malinowski equaled with the Tanzanian and won in an outstanding style. He finished the race for gold with a result of 8:09.69. It was a huge success for him – he became a legend of athletics in the world.

The last medal placed on the wall was awarded to Bronisław Malinowski for the race, which took place on February 8th, 1981 at a distance of 5,000 m in Melbourne, Australia. Let us now move on to the display case in the middle of the room. Here some of the cups won by our Master are presented. These include the "Golden Spikes" and the cup won in 1979 in the cross-country race "Five Mills" held in Italy.
Malinowski was going to compete in the European Athletics Championship in Athens in 1982 and the World Championship in 1983. Unfortunately, on September 27, 1981, he died in a car accident on the Grudziądz Bridge. After his death, Bronisław Malinowski was awarded the Fair Play award and the Medal for Merit for the City of Grudziądz. On September 18, 1996, the City Council of Grudziądz awarded him the title of Honorary Citizen. Since 2002, the bridge in Grudziądz has been named after him. In 2011, the Grudziądz stadium received his name, in front of which stands his monument unveiled in 1997. In 1982, the Bronisław Malinowski International Athletics Competition was organized for the first time in Grudziądz. They always took place at the beginning of June. The last Memorial was held in 2003, while the annual street runs in his name, also started in 1982, continue to this day.
The dedication, endurance and effective pursuit of Bronisław Malinowski's goal is evidenced by some of the preserved training schedules that we can see at the exhibition.