Józef Szmidt

Józef Szmidt

Personal information
Born	(1935-03-28)28 March 1935 Beuthen, Germany (now Bytom, Poland)
Died	29 July 2024(2024-07-29) (aged 89) Zagozd, Poland
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Poland Olympic Games 1960 Rome Triple jump 1964 Tokyo Triple jump European Championships 1958 Stockholm Triple jump 1962 Belgrade Triple jump

Józef Szmidt (born Josef Schmidt; 28 March 1935 – 29 July 2024) was a German and Polish Olympic athlete and the first triple jumper to reach 17 metres.

Józef Schmidt was born in Beuthen, Germany, and was a mechanic by profession. After World War II, Beuthen was transferred to Poland, Schmidt's family had to learn Polish, and their name was changed to Szmidt.^[1]

He was the world's leading triple jumper in the early 1960s, becoming European champion in 1958 and 1962, and Olympic champion and winner of Poland's Sportsman of the Year prize in 1960 and 1964.^[2] With a jump of 17.03 m in 1960, Szmidt was the first triple jumper to reach 17 metres.^[3] In 1975 Szmidt settled in West Germany, but returned to Poland in 1992. He was the brother of track and field athlete Edward Szmidt, who competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Szmidt died of cancer in Zagozd, on 29 July 2024, at the age of 89. His wife had died the week prior.^[1]

• Triple jump world record progression

• Józef Szmidt at World Athletics
• Józef Szmidt at European Athletics
• Józef Szmidt at Olympics.com
• Józef Szmidt at OlympicChannel.com (archived)
• Józef Szmidt at Olympic.org (archived)
• Józef Szmidt at Olympedia

Records
Preceded by  Oleg Fyodoseyev (URS)	Men's Triple Jump World Record Holder 5 August 1960 – 16 September 1968	Succeeded by  Giuseppe Gentile (ITA)

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