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Polish Olympians

Polski

The Beginnings of Poles at the Olympic Games

Poland has a long and proud tradition of participating in the Olympic Games. Since the first participation in 1924, Polish athletes have won a total of over 300 medals, demonstrating extraordinary talent, diligence and determination on the world stage. Many of them have permanently etched themselves into the history of Polish and world sport, inspiring subsequent generations of athletes to reach for the highest goals.

History of Poland's participation in the Olympic Games

Poland has been taking part in the Olympic Games since their revival in 1896. For over a century, our representatives have won a total of over 300 medals, becoming one of the strongest Olympic powers. The first Polish medalist at the Games was the miller Bronisław Chyliński, who won the bronze medal in discus throw in Athens in 1896.

In subsequent years, more and more Poles stood on the Olympic podium, and the best period was the 1970s and 1980s, when the Polish team often took high places in the medal table. We achieved the greatest successes in such disciplines as athletics, boxing, wrestling, rowing and handball.

Participation in the Olympic Games is an extremely important national and historical event for Poles. Medals won by our athletes have always generated great enthusiasm among fans and have been an important factor in uniting our nation.

Gold medals in volleyball

Polish volleyball players have made a permanent mark on Olympic history. The men’s team won gold medals in 1976, 1980, 1992 and 2014, becoming one of the most powerful forces in the discipline. The women’s volleyball players also celebrated successes, winning in 2016. These victories show the enormous potential of Polish sport and the excellent preparation of players and training staffs.

Athletes’ successes

The most outstanding Polish Olympic successes

Polish track and field athletes made the national colours famous on the international stage. Among the biggest stars were Irena Szewińska, Władysław Kozakiewicz, Robert Korzeniowski and Anita Włodarczyk. They won many gold, silver and bronze medals, proving the high class of Polish competitive sports.

Boxing domination

Poland is a powerhouse in Olympic boxing. Players such as Leszek Drogosz, Jerzy Kulej and Tomasz Adamek won gold medals, setting a high level of this discipline in our country. Polish boxers impressed with their strength, technique and determination, attracting the attention of fans from all over the world.

Sports disciplines in which Poland achieves the greatest successes

Athletics

Poland is a powerhouse in athletics, achieving huge successes both domestically and internationally. Our stars, such as Adam Kszczot, Anita Włodarczyk and Paweł Fajdek, regularly win medals at major competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Polish school of athletics is considered one of the best in the world, and our athletes are renowned for their technique, endurance and determination.

Voleyball

Volleyball is a discipline in which Poland has been very successful for years. Our representatives, both male and female, regularly climb to the podium of the biggest events, including the Olympic Games. The Polish volleyball school is considered one of the best in the world, and our players stand out not only with their technical skills, but also with tactical thinking and a strong will to fight.

Swiming

Swimming is another discipline in which Poland has achieved success on the international stage. Our national team, both men’s and women’s, regularly wins medals at major events such as the Olympic Games. Polish swimmers stand out not only for their great times, but also for their determination and ambition, which allows them to compete with the best competitors in the world.

Polish Olympic medalists - record holders

Poland has great reasons to be proud when we look at the history of our representatives’ performances at the Olympic Games. Among the Polish medalists there are many true record holders who have written golden letters in the annals of sport and brought pride to the nation.

The greatest record holder in Polish Olympic sports is the athlete Robert Korzeniowski, who won 4 Olympic gold medals in race walking. Another legendary figure is Irena Szewińska, who stood on the Olympic podium 7 times in her career, winning a total of 7 medals, including 4 gold. Among the champions of Polish boxing we can mention, among others, Leszek Drogosz, who won 3 Olympic gold medals.

Poland can boast a whole galaxy of young, talented athletes who are already beginning to achieve success on the international stage. Among them, Iga Świątek, winner of the Grand Slam in tennis, and Dawid Tomala, Olympic champion in race walking, stand out. Also raising increasing hopes are, among others, Paweł Fajdek, multiple world champion in hammer throw, and Maria Andrejczyk, Olympic medalist in javelin throw. Young Poles are proving that they have not only great talent, but also the fortitude and determination to achieve the highest sporting goals. They are a national pride and arouse huge interest among fans, who eagerly await their next successes on the world’s biggest stages.

Young Polish talents on the international stage

Support from the state and sponsors for Polish Olympic sport

The Polish Olympic movement enjoys strong support from the state and private sponsors. The Ministry of Sport and Tourism provides significant financial resources for training and preparing Polish representatives for the Olympic Games. Investments in sports infrastructure, scholarships for athletes and support for national sports associations allow our best athletes to develop optimally and achieve high results on the international stage. Private sponsors also play a key role, providing additional funds, training facilities and promotion of Polish sports stars. Thanks to this cooperation, Poland can compete with the strongest sports countries in the world and regularly win medals at the most important sports events.

The Polish Olympic community has ambitious plans and aspirations for the coming years. The key goal is to maintain Poland’s high position in world Olympic sports and to constantly improve the results achieved. Polish athletes strive to win more medals at the most important events, such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

Plans and aspirations of the Polish Olympic movement for the future

In addition to sporting successes, the Olympic movement in Poland places great emphasis on developing sports infrastructure, raising the level of training for young talents and promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical activity among society. Investments in modern training centers are planned, as well as intensive grassroots work aimed at discovering and educating new stars of Polish sports.

gold medals:

List of Olympians from Poland (2016-2020):

Iga Baumgart-Witan, Kajetan Duszyński, Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik, Natalia Kaczmarek, Dariusz Kowaluk, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Karol Zalewski – mixed relay 4 × 400 m

Anita Włodarczyk – hammer throw

Wojciech Nowicki – hammer throw

Dawid Tomala – 50 km walk

2016

silver medals:

Agnieszka Kobus-Zawojska, Maria Sajdak, Marta Wieliczko, Katarzyna Zillmann – rowing, quadruple sculls

Karolina Naja, Anna Puławska – kayaking, K-2 500 m

Jolanta Ogar-Hill, Agnieszka Skrzypulec – sailing, class 470

Maria Andrejczyk – javelin throw

Iga Baumgart-Witan, Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik, Natalia Kaczmarek, Anna Kiełbasińska, Justyna Święty-Ersetic – 4 × 400 m relay

brown medals:

Tadeusz Michalik – Greco-Roman wrestling, 97 kg category

Malwina Kopron – hammer throw

Paweł Fajdek – hammer throw

Patryk Dobek – 800 m run

Justyna Iskrzycka, Karolina Naja, Anna Puławska, Helena Wiśniewska – kayaking, K-4 500 m