Jan Gąsienica Ciaptak

A Zakopane native, Jan Gąsienica Ciaptak was an allround skier, competing in both Alpine and Nordic events. At the first of his three Olympics, he competed in both alpine skiing and ski jumping, but chose to focus on his specialty - alpine skiing - in the future. His best international result came in 1954, when Gąsienica Ciaptak placed 8th in the World Championship combined event at Åre, Sweden. He won a total of 28 Polish titles in his career, which lasted until 1966, when he retired at age 44. Later becoming a coach, he saw his son follow in his footsteps: Maciej Gąsienica Ciaptak competed in two World Championships, won gold in slalom and silver in combined at the 1978 Winter Universiade, and captured 25 Polish national championships.