At Saturday’s 2014 Season Opening Meeting – the Wilhelm Nowicki Memorial, Kacper Olszewski gave an excellent performance in the shot put, setting a Lower Silesian record with a throw of 19.22 m. This result is also better than the qualifying standard for the European Qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games, which will be held this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“Already during training at the last camp, I felt that things were going well and that I was capable of making long throws. The result is not a surprise to me. I know there is still a great deal of work ahead. I just hope I stay healthy,” says Kacper.
“This is only the beginning of the season. There are still many technical elements to improve. Kacper is aware of this, and given his approach to training, reaching 20 metres is only a matter of time,” adds Kacper’s coach, Tomasz Markowski.
Maciej Goss also performed excellently, winning the 600 m race decisively while improving his personal best by nearly four seconds (1:21.86). Maciek runs the 400 m hurdles, so this was an unusual distance for him, yet he never relinquished the lead.
“Maciek is an incredibly modest boy and approaches everything he does perfectly. He always thinks he could have performed some element better, both in training and in competition. After what he showed in his first start, we can expect another very good season from him,” says Maciek’s coach, Małgorzata Markowska.
In the 1,000 m race, coach Bartosz Gruman’s athlete Tobiasz Burzyński showed tremendous character, competing on equal terms with athletes several years older. The young athlete improved his personal best by almost nine seconds (2:48.54). Also performing very well over the same distance were Hubert Burdzy (3:03.34) and Wiktor Wilk (3:16.90). The latter improved his personal best by as much as 25 seconds. Interestingly, Hubert joined MKS Bolesłavia through the BiegamBoLubię campaign. Both athletes are coached by Dariusz Łomański.
The 300 m race had a dramatic course: Patryk Modras, running for a personal best, suffered an injury and unfortunately had to end the competition 80 m before the finish.
The winners of their events were Beata Dąbal (12.00 m in the shot put and 39.49 in the discus throw) and Dominik Stec (49.82 m in the javelin throw). The following athletes also improved their season and personal bests: Monika Chmielik (44.00 s in the 300 m), Monika Sandak (33.64 in the discus throw), Laura Śledzińska (28.66 in the discus throw, 11.20 in the shot put and 29.90 in the hammer throw), Julia Kawałko (28.53 in the hammer throw), Dominika Kwaszcz (8.68 in the shot put), Szymon Laudański (41.77 in the javelin throw), Piotr Gadziński (37.71 in the javelin throw), Mateusz Tofil (1.90 in the high jump), Damian Gradzik (1.90 in the high jump and 3.10 in the pole vault), and Wojciech Kutryba (44.35 in the hammer throw).
Children’s events were also held as part of the meeting, and Bolesłavia’s youngest athletes performed very well. In the long jump, Małgorzata Markowska’s athlete Zuzia Marlicka left her competitors no chance, achieving an excellent result of 4.12 m and also taking second place in the 60 m (9.42 s). Natalia Łomańska produced a superb finish, winning the 600 m in the very good time of 2:04.52.
The boys’ 60 m race was won by Piotr Posłuszniak (8.25 s), while Dominik Kubik took third place in the same event (9.12 s); both are coached by Dariusz Łomański. Bartosz Piotrowski took third place in the long jump (4.12 m). Bolesłavia was also represented in this age category by Maja Górska – sixth place in the 60 m (9.83 s) and fourth place in the long jump (3.85 m), and Dawid Lachowski – fifth place in the long jump (3.48 m); both are coached by Małgorzata Markowska.
“Together with coach Paweł Wiśniewski, we focused on general fitness during the winter, and it is producing results. The children train twice a week and, above all, enjoy sport. At this age, athletics should bring children joy, and that is what we strive for,” says coach Dariusz Łomański.
Bolesłavia’s athletes began competing in 2014 in excellent fashion. “It looks as though this season will be as successful as the last one, which was the best in the club’s history. After all, last month Bartosz Wróbel won a gold medal at the Polish Cross-Country Championships. Our athletes therefore have someone to look up to. If they stay healthy, everything will be fine,” concludes MKS Bolesłavia president Bartosz Gruman.
(information: Dariusz Łomański/ii)