By Duncan Mackay

Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, beaten in the final of the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, has died at the age of 79 ©Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThe Polish boxer beaten by Cassius Clay for the gold medal in the Olympic light heavyweight final at Rome in 1960 has died at the age of 79, it has been announced.


Zbigniew Pietrzykowski was a three-time Olympic medallist and four-time European champion but will always be remembered in history for his defeat to American Clay, who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali. 

Pietrzykowsk had won the Olympic bronze medal at Melbourne 1956 in the light middleweight division after losing in the semi-final to Hungarian László Papp, who won the final and became the first boxer in history to win three successive gold medal. 

The southpaw boxer from a small village in Bestwinka in the Province of Silesia moved up to light heavyweight at Rome four years later and this time reached the final. 

The Pole put up a good fight but was outpointed by the lightening speed of Clay's regular onslaughts.

Zbigniew Pietrzykowski (right) was beaten on points by Cassius Clay - later Muhammad Ali - in the final of the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome ©Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesZbigniew Pietrzykowski (right) was beaten on points by Cassius Clay - later Muhammad Ali - in the final of the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome
©Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ali would go on to beat Sonny Liston to lift the world heavyweight title, while Pietrzykowski would win bronze at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics.

Pietrzykowsk also participated five times at the European Amateur Boxing Championships and won five medals, a bronze in the light middleweight division at Warsaw 1953, and then four gold medals, at West Berlin 1955 in the light middleweight division, at Prague 1957 in the middleweight division, and at Lucerne 1959 and at Moscow 1963 in the light heavyweight division.

He finished his career with a record of 334 wins, two draws and 14 losses.

Between 1993 and 1997 Pietrzykowsk was elected to the Lower House of Parliament.

He also served on the Board of the Polish Olympic Committee.

Pietrzykowski died yesterday Bielsko-Biala following a long illness.

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