Tomasz Robert Gollob (Polish pronunciation: [ˈtɔmaʐ ˈɡɔlːɔp] ; born 11 April 1971 in Bydgoszcz, Poland)[1] is a former Polish motorcycle speedway rider.[2] He appeared in every Speedway Grand Prix series between its inaugural season in 1995 and 2013. He earned 52 caps for the Poland national speedway team.[3]

Tomasz Gollob
Born (1971-04-11) 11 April 1971 (age 53)
Bydgoszcz, Poland
NationalityPolish
Websitewww.gollobracing.com
Career history
Poland
1988, 1990-2003Polonia Bydgoszcz
1989Wybrzeże Gdańsk
2004-2007Unia Tarnów
2008-2012Stal Gorzów
2013-2014KS Toruń
2015-2016GKM Grudziądz
Great Britain
1998-2000Ipswich Witches
Sweden
1997Valsarna
2001-2010Västervik
2011-2013Hammarby
Denmark
2009Esbjerg
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
Starts163
Podiums53 (22-10-21)
Finalist66 times
Winner22 times
Individual honours
2010World Champion
2005-2012Speedway Grand Prix winner (22 times)
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
2001, 2002, 2006, 2009
Polish Champion
1990, 1991, 1992Polish Under 21 Champion
1996Continental Champion
1994, 1995, 1997, 2000
2002
Polish Golden Helmet Winner
1990, 2002Polish Silver Helmet Winner
1995Jack Young Memorial Cup winner
Team honours
1996World Team Cup Winner
2005, 2007, 2009, 2010World Cup Winner
2001European Cup Champions' Winner
1992, 1997, 1998, 2000
2002, 2004, 2005
Polish Team Champion
1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
1995, 1996, 1997, 1999
2000, 2002
Polish Pairs Champion
1998Elite League Champion
1998Elite League KO Cup Winner
1998Craven Shield Winner
2005, 2006Swedish Elitserien Champion

Career summary

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Site of 2007 plane crash.

Tomasz Gollob spent almost all of his career with hometown club Bydgoszcz until he moved to Unia Tarnów in 2004. He has won the Polish Individual Championship eight times (between 1992 and 2009) and the Polish Pairs Championship ten times. He has also won the Polish Grand Prix eight times in thirteen years. He clinched the Speedway World Championship in 2010 after securing the championship in Terenzano, Italy. He is only the second Pole to ever win the World Championship, following in the footsteps of Jerzy Szczakiel who won in 1973.

Gollob also spent some time in Australia in the early-mid 1990s based at the North Arm Speedway in Adelaide. While In Australia, Gollob would race against many of his future World Championship rivals including Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, and Ryan Sullivan. Gollob is the only World Champion to win the Jack Young Solo Cup held in Adelaide each year in memory of Australia's 1951 and 1952 World Champion, Jack Young. He won the cup in 1995 at North Arm.

On 28 July 1996 he won the Continental Final, which formed part of the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification.[4]

Gollob was also a member of the Poland speedway team that won the World Team Cup in 1996 and the World Cup in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011.

In 2007, Gollob survived a plane crash with fellow rider Rune Holta. The plane, flown by his father Władysław, crashed on the way to a speedway meeting at Tarnów. Gollob escaped with cuts and bruises after pulling his father from the wreckage.[5]

On retirement, Gollob had achieved 22 Grand Prix wins from 1995 until 2012.

In 2017, Gollob suffered serious injuries to head and spine in a motocross accident during a MX event in Northern Poland.[6]

For his sport achievements, he received the Order of Polonia Restituta:

  •   Knight's Cross (5th Class) in 2000
  •   Officer's Cross (4th Class) in 2007
  •   Commander's Cross (2010)

Family

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His brother Jacek was also a speedway rider.

World final appearances

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Individual World Championship

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World Pairs Championship

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World Team Cup

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World Cup

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Individual Under-21 World Championship

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Speedway Grand Prix results

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Year Position Points Best Finish Notes
1995 9th 73 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
1996 12th 43 3rd
1997 3rd 92 Winner Won Swedish Grand Prix
1998 3rd 97 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
1999 2nd 98 Winner Won Czech Republic Grand Prix and Polish Grand Prix
2000 7th 64 5th
2001 3rd 89 Winner Won German Grand Prix
2002 7th 117 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
2003 6th 111 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
2004 6th 113 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
2005 7th 83 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
2006 8th 94 3rd
2007 4th 108 Winner Won Polish Grand Prix
2008 3rd 148 Winner Won Slovenian, Danish and German Grand Prix
2009 2nd 144 Winner Won Scandinavian and Italian Grand Prix
2010 1st 166 Winner Won Czech Republic, Polish, Nordic and Italian Grand Prix
2011 5th 106 Winner Won Danish Grand Prix
2012 4th 142 Winner Won Scandinavian Grand Prix
2013 9th 89 2nd

Family

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Tomasz Gollob has two brothers and one sister[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
  2. ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 519. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
  3. ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Individual Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Gollob survives plane crash drama". Evening Star. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  6. ^ "Doctors 'very cautious' about Tomasz Gollob, former world champion in induced coma after crash". 24 April 2017.
  7. ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
  8. ^ "GollobRacing.com - Oficjalny serwis Tomasza Golloba".
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