We have barely had time to enjoy Bolesłavia’s youth athletes’ outstanding results at the Polish Junior Championships, where our competitors won three medals (Maciej Goss – gold, Ewa Ochocka – silver and Bartosz Wróbel – bronze), and already there is another major success, again involving three medals—this time won by their younger teammates.
From 13 to 15 July in Wrocław, the best young athletes competed for medals in the under-18 category. Małgorzata Markowska Wojciech Karaban’s athlete ended the competition brilliantly, decisively winning the 2,000 m steeplechase (6:05.53), improving his personal best by nearly eight seconds. It is worth emphasizing that this is the fifth medal won by Małgorzata Markowska’s athletes at a Polish Championship-level event this year.
“This is my biggest achievement so far. It is worth training for a moment like this. You have to believe in success and, above all, be patient,” said a delighted Wojtek.
We were counting on Kacper Olszewski to win gold in the shot put. But that is the nature of sport: predictions do not always come true. Kacper managed only fourth place (18.07 m). However, the athlete coached by Tomasz Markowski showed his class in the discus throw. Although he was clearly leading before the final round of throws, in his last attempt he sent the discus 58.03 m, setting a new personal best. By becoming Polish champion, Kacper beat the next discus thrower by more than four metres.
The decathlon is a gruelling event. Quietly, we were hoping for a strong performance from Bartosz Gruman’s athlete, Damian Gradzik. This young competitor showed character and did not disappoint those who had placed their hopes in him. After a magnificent battle, he won the bronze medal (6,054 points).
“I was hoping for a medal, but the decathlon is an unpredictable event. One mistake can eliminate an athlete from the fight for the top positions. That is why I am hugely pleased with the medal. I would like to thank my coaches for always believing in me, as well as everyone who helped me prepare,” Damian said after the competition.
The athlete coached by Ryszard Posacki Paweł Jóźwiak also fought brilliantly in the long jump. This determined and ambitious competitor improved his personal best, but missed out on a medal by just 6 cm. Paweł ultimately finished fourth, setting another club record this season with a jump of 6.74 m.
Among Bolesłavia’s other competitors, Monika Sandak finished twelfth in the discus throw (31.75 m) and thirteenth in the javelin. Eryka Baran finished eighteenth in the javelin (33.94 m), Amelia Kołodziej was twenty-first in the high jump (1.54 m), Piotr Gadziński finished fourteenth in the decathlon (5,276 points), and Wojciech Kutryba was eighteenth in the hammer throw (45.50 m).
In the club standings, MKS Bolesłavia—among 207 clubs classified—won 10th place, the best result in the club’s history in the under-18 category.
The club’s athletes still have the Polish Youth Championships and the Polish U16 Championships ahead of them, bringing the season to a close. After the 2013 season, when the club scored 167 points, no one imagined that this result could be improved. At present, it seems that this may nevertheless be possible with a tally of 129 points. We look forward to the club’s remaining athletes competing and wish them success.
(information: Dariusz Łomański/ii)