Polish achievements in combat sports at the modern olympic games and their position compared to other countries in central and eastern europe

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide information on the achievements of Poles in combat sports: boxing, fencing, judo, karate, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, and wrestling at the modern Olympic Games. Official data from the International Olympic Committee was used. Poland's significant achievements in combat sports were compared with those of other Central and Eastern European countries. The analysis was based on the total number of medal points won by representatives of individual countries for the conversion coefficient (5 points – gold medal, 3 points – silver medal, 1 point – bronze medal). In addition, geopolitical changes throughout the analysed period were taken into account. Medals won by athletes from the USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, or the Commonwealth of Independent States were assigned to individual countries according to the nationality of the athlete. The results are presented in the form of maps and tables. Among the Olympic combat sports analysed, Poles were most successful in boxing, fencing, and modern pentathlon, and among Far Eastern combat sports, only in judo A comparative analysis with other Central and Eastern European countries showed that these countries have the greatest achievements in wrestling, boxing, and judo, and the least in karate and taekwondo.