Arkadiusz Gołaś

Arkadiusz Gołaś was a Polish volleyball player, member of the Poland men's national volleyball team in 2001–2005, participant of the Olympic Games.

Personal life

He married Agnieszka on July 21, 2005. His best man was another volleyball player, his best friend Krzysztof Ignaczak. On September 16, 2005, Arkadiusz died in Griffen, Austria near Klagenfurt in Austria on the A2 motorway when the car he was riding in struck a concrete wall. His wife, Agnieszka, who was driving, survived. They were on their way to Macerata, where Arkadiusz was due to begin playing his first season at the club Lube Banca Macerata. His last match with the Polish national team was on September 8, 2005, when Poland beat Portugal. His funeral held on September 22, 2005, in Ostrołęka.

After his death, his best friend from the Polish national team - Krzysztof Ignaczak took over wearing his shirt, bearing number 16, to honor his memory.
The silver medal won by the Polish national team at the World Championship 2006 was dedicated to him. At the medal ceremony, all Polish players were wearing shirts with his surname and number. On December 6, 2006, he was posthumously awarded Gold Cross of Merit by the Polish President Lech Kaczyński for outstanding sports achievements.
A sport hall in Ostrołęka has been named after him. Since 2006, it has been the venue for the annual Memorial of Arkadiusz Gołaś.
Sebastian Świderski, who was a player in Italian club Lube Banca Macerata in 2007–2010 played with Arkadiusz's number 16 on his shirt.
In 2009, the son of Mariusz Wlazły was named after him.
In 2013–2015, the Polish volleyball player – Bartosz Kurek has been playing with Gołaś's number 16 on his shirt.
After gaining the title of World Champion 2014, Mariusz Wlazły dedicated his medal to him.