# Tomasz Gollob

Tomasz Robert Gollob (Polish pronunciation: ; born 11 April 1971 in Bydgoszcz, Poland) is a former Polish motorcycle speedway rider. 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.

## Career summary

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.
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.
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.
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

His brother Jacek was also a speedway rider.

## World final appearances
### Individual World Championship

* 1993 - Pocking, Rottalstadion - 7th - 8pts
* 1994 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 16th - 0pts

### World Pairs Championship

* 1993 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Piotr Świst / Piotr Baron) - 5th - 15pts (15)

### World Team Cup

* 1994 - Brokstedt, Holsteinring Brokstedt - 2nd - 20pts (16)
* 1995 - Bydgoszcz, Polonia Bydgoszcz Stadium - 6th - 13pts (12)
* 1996 - Diedenbergen, Speedway Arena Diedenbergen - Winner - 27pts (15)
* 1997 - Piła, Stadion Żużlowy Centrum - 2nd - 25pts (13)
* 1998 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 4th - 17pts (15)

### World Cup

* 2001 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - 2nd - 65pts (27)
* 2002 - Peterborough, East of England Showground - 4th - 48pts (17)
* 2003 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 4th - 49pts (20)
* 2004 - Poole, Poole Stadium - 4th - 22pts (1)
* 2005 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - Winner - 62pts
* 2007 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium - Winner - 55pts
* 2008 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 46pts
* 2009 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium - Winner - 44pts
* 2010 - Vojens, Speedway Center - Winner - 46pts

### Individual Under-21 World Championship

* 1992 - Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Speedway Stadion Pfaffenhofen - 5th - 10pts

## Speedway Grand Prix results

| 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

Tomasz Gollob has two brothers and one sister