On Sunday, 23 May, the 5th Open Polish Kayaking Freestyle Championships concluded in Jelenia Góra. During the 45-minute run, competitors had to perform as many figures as possible.
This year’s river championships were exceptionally successful for Jakub Hankiewicz, a competitor representing Bolesławiecko-Lwówecki Sports Club “BoLwater” and a student at I Liceum Ogólnokształcące. The kayaker scored as many as 1,145 points in the qualifiers. It was the best result across all age categories.
Kuba produced an even bigger surprise in the final, scoring 873 points in one of the runs and winning the title of Polish champion. For this run, the BoLwater competitor received over 200 points more than the best senior, Tomasz Czaplicki (Karkonoski Kayaking Club).
Jakub’s performance in Jelenia Góra is a good sign ahead of the European Championships, which will take place in June in Lienz, Austria.
Kayaking freestyle is an exceptionally spectacular sport. The competitors’ level rises every year. The discipline is becoming increasingly popular in Poland. Bolesławiecko-Lwówecki Sports Club “BoLwater” has kayakers from throughout the region, including Bolesławiec, Lwówek Śląski, Żary and Wrocław.
(BoLwater/ii information)
