On this historical lookback, we remember perhaps the most important Polish Olympic gold medal ever. The moment itself only lasted for a split second and came to the man who did it spontaneously, but its power and symbolism travelled far beyond the walls of Luzniki Stadium in Moscow.
Just 15 days after Władysław Kozakiewicz broke the world Pole Vault record and showed the Russian fans where to stick it, the Gdańsk Shipyard workers, led by Lech Wałęsa, came out on strike and Europe would never be the same.
This is the story of the abuse, disappointment and typical communist-era malfeasance that led Kozakiewicz to defy an entire Evil Empire during its biggest ever propaganda exercise.
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