Jerzy Pawlowski Polish fencer Date of Birth: 23.10.1932 Country: Poland

1. Biography of Jerzy Pawłowski
2. Controversy and Later Life

Biography of Jerzy Pawłowski

Jerzy Pawłowski was a Polish fencer, known for his achievements in the sport and his controversial later life. He was born on October 23, 1932, into a military family. He began fencing at the age of 17 in the Warsaw club "Grochów" and quickly rose through the ranks, joining the Polish national team and becoming the vice-champion of the country in individual sabre fencing. He trained at the Warsaw military-sports club "Legia" from 1952 onwards.

Over the course of his career, which spanned from 1952 to 1972, Pawłowski participated in six Olympic Games, winning two silver medals and one bronze medal in team events. His most notable achievement came in 1968 at the XIX Olympic Games in Mexico City, where he became the champion in the individual sabre fencing tournament at the age of 35. This victory ended the 48-year dominance of Hungarian fencers in this discipline at the Olympics.

Pawłowski also had a successful career in the World Championships, winning the gold medal in sabre fencing three times (1957, 1965, 1966) and finishing as the runner-up in 1967. He was a four-time world champion in team events (1959, 1961, 1962, 1963) and a 14-time champion of Poland in both sabre and épée fencing.

In addition to his sports career, Pawłowski graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Warsaw in 1968. He worked at the Felix Dzerzhinsky Military-Political Academy in Warsaw and received the Officer's Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland. He was also awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Polish Army.

In 1972, Pawłowski participated in his last Olympic Games in Munich, but did not achieve success, losing in the semifinals of the individual sabre tournament to Soviet fencer Vladimir Nazlymov. After retiring from competitive fencing, Pawłowski became the president of the Polish Fencing Federation from 1970 to 1974.

Controversy and Later Life

In a surprising turn of events, on April 24, 1975, Pawłowski was arrested as part of a counterintelligence operation. During the investigation, it was revealed that he had been a double agent, working for Polish intelligence since 1950 and being recruited by American intelligence (CIA) in 1964, operating under the alias "Pavel." On April 8, 1976, he was sentenced by a military tribunal to 25 years in prison for espionage in favor of the United States, with the confiscation of his property and a 10-year deprivation of civil rights. His name became forbidden in Poland, despite being one of the country's most popular athletes.

Pawłowski spent a decade and 44 days in prison before being pardoned on June 11, 1985. He was released from Białołęka Prison and taken to Gliwice Bridge between Potsdam and Berlin, where a spy exchange was taking place. However, Pawłowski surprised everyone by announcing that he had no intention of emigrating to the West and returned to Poland.

In his later years, Pawłowski lived in Warsaw, where he pursued painting and bioenergetic therapy. He passed away in 2013, leaving behind a legacy as both a highly accomplished fencer and a controversial figure in Polish history.