Zbigniew Pacelt

A three-time Olympian, Zbigniew Pacelt competed as a swimmer in 1968 and 1972 and in modern pentathlon in 1976. He was a 12-time Polish champion in short-course swimming and 18 times won a national swimming title in LCM. As a swimmer, he also competed at the 1970 European Championships. In modern pentathlon he competed at the World Championships in 1977 and 1978 and was runner-up at the 1975 Polish Championships. He started his sports career with AZS Warszawa from 1970-72 and then joined Legia Warszawa from 1972-80.

Pacelt participated in 13 Olympic Games in various capacities – as an athlete, coach, official, and chef de mission. He later became a coach with Legia Warszawa and was national team coach for modern pentathlon. Pacelt became vice-president of the Polish Modern Pentathlon Association and a member of the Board of the Polish Olympic Committee. From 1994-2000 he headed the Department of Professional Sports at the Office of Physical Culture and Sports.

In 2005 Pacelt was elected to the Sejm from his Świętokrzyskie district for the Civic Platform party. He served three terms as a deputy in the Sejm, through 2015. In 2007-08 Pacelt was also the deputy minister of sport and tourism.