Tadeusz Śliwak

Tadeusz Śliwak competed for Poland in track and field athletics before joining the Polish Air Force where he served as a navigator. Śliwak competed in sprinting in the first half of the 1930s and became the Polish record holder in the 200 metres. He won eight silver medals at the national championships, with his performances earning him a place at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In Berlin he was part of the Polish quartet that ran in the 4 x 400 metres relay.

During World War II Śliwak served in the Polish resistance under the codename Siwiec. He was also a navigator with the 307th Polish Night-Fighter Squadron and later tested radar equipment in Bristol, England. In 1946 he moved to Argentina and worked as a translator in Buenos Aires. By 1951 he had moved to Canada where he continued to work as a translator until his retirement in 1973. Śliwak remained in Canada for the rest of his life and died in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1991.

Personal Best: 400 - 49.6 (1936).