Józef Lipień, the Polish Greco-Roman wrestler who won Olympic silver in Moscow and a world title in Tehran, has died at the age of 77. He died in Dębica overnight from Saturday into Sunday, October 25, 2026, the Polish Wrestling Federation announced.
“An outstanding competitor, Olympian, world champion, coach and a man who left a lasting mark on the history of Polish wrestling has passed away,” the federation said.
Four Olympic Games
Lipień was born on February 6, 1949, in Jaczków in Lower Silesia. He wrestled for Karkonosze Jelenia Góra from 1966 to 1980 and then for Wisłoka Dębica until 1985, and later competed for clubs in Denmark and Sweden.
He competed at four Olympics: Mexico City in 1968, Munich in 1972, Montreal in 1976 and Moscow in 1980. In Moscow he took silver in the 57kg class, beaten only by the Soviet wrestler Shamil Serikov. That year he finished seventh in Przegląd Sportowy‘s poll for Poland’s sportsperson of the year.
World champion in Tehran
Lipień became world champion in Tehran in 1973, won silver at the world championships in Katowice (1974) and Minsk (1975), and bronze in Oslo in 1978. He was a nine-time Polish champion. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1983.
The Lipień twins
His twin brother, Kazimierz Lipień, won Olympic gold in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1976 Montreal Games and died in 2005. After his own career ended, Józef stayed in the sport as a coach, working for many years at Wisłoka Dębica.