The Polish Olympic Heros

Irena Kirszenstein-Szewińska (born on May 24, 1946 in Leningrad, died on June 29, 2018 in Warsaw) was a Polish athlete specializing in sprint and long jump, and after the end of her career, an activist of national and international sports organizations. She was seven medalist of the Olympic Games (3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals) and ten times medalist of the European championships (10 medals at the open stadium and 3 in the hall) . Multiple Polish representative in international matches and the European Cup. In the years 1965–1979 she won 24 medals of the Polish championships in 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, in a 4 × 100 meter relay and in a long jump. She won gold medals in Olympic games in Tokio (1964), Mexico (1968), Montreal (1976),  2 silver medals in Tokio (1964), bronze medals in Mexico (1968) and Munich (1972).

Władysław Kozakiewicz (born on December 8, 1953 in Soleczniki near Vilnius) was a Polish athlete - pole vaulter and multi-player. He was Olympic gold medalist in pole vault from Moscow in 1980. On July 30, 1980, he won the Olympic pole vault title in Moscow with a score of 5.78 m - while setting a new world record. Remembered because of the gesture he twice  made towards whistling Russian fans (the so-called Kozakiewicz gesture). In 1980 he set world records twice: with results: 5.72 and 5.78 m. Other achievements include: European Indoor Championship (1977, 1979), European runner-up at the open stadium (1974) and two bronze medals in the hall (1975, 1982). During his career he improved the Polish record eight times, raising it from 5.32 m in 1973 to 5.78 m in 1980. He was also a 10-time national champion.

Otylia Jędrzejczak (born in Ruda Śląska In 1983) is a Polish swimmer. She was the Olympic champion from 2004 in  Athens in the 200 metres butterfly. She finished 4th in this event in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and also swam at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In Athens 2004 she also silvered in 400 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly. Three times she broke the world record in the women's 200 m butterfly (once in the 25-metre pool).   After winning bronze in the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, Jędrzejczak managed to defend her title in the 200 m butterfly event on 29 July 2005. In the final she improved her own world record with a time of 2:05.61.  In the summer of 2005 she won three gold medals at the Summer Universiade in İzmir.   In the 2006 European Championships in Budapest she again defended her 200 m butterfly title and won 200 m freestyle. With her teammates, she took the silver medal in 4×200 m freestyle relay.   On 13 December 2007, on her 24th birthday, Jędrzejczak broke the world record for the 200 metre women's butterfly with a time of 2:03.53.

Mateusz Kusznierewicz (born April 29, 1975 in Warsaw) is a  Polish sports sailor, Olympic champion and world champion.  He is two-time Olympic medalist, two-time individual world champion in Finn class and world champion in Star class, five-time individual European champion (also as junior), multiple winner of the Polish championship. He won the gold medal in The Olympic Games in Atlanta (1996)  and  competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, winning a bronze medal in the Finn. He was an individual world champion (1998, 2000), runner-up world champion (1999,2001, 2002) and European champion (2000, 2004). He triumphed over thirty times in the World Cup regatta. He also successfully competed in the Star class. Together with Dominik Życki in 2008 he reached the title of world champion and European champion (2012). National multimedia player, ten-time Polish champion in Finn class, three times in Star class.

Natalia Madaj was born on January 25, 1988 in Piła. This is a Polish oarswoman. Currently she is in LOTTO-Bydgostia Bydgoszcz rowing machine. Natalia Madaj is the gold medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the silver medalist of the World Championships in doubles 2014 in Amsterdam and the bronze medalist of the FIFA World Championships in 2013 in Chungju.

Leszek Blanik is a  gymnast from Wodzisław Śląski. He is the winner of two Olympic medals in the jump competition. In 2000, he won the bronze medal during the Sydney Olympic Games. On August 18, 2008, he won the gold medal during the Beijing Olympic Games. He is also the first Polish athlete whose name was given a gymnastic element. Recorded at number 332 by the International Gymnastic Federation, the jump-metastasis (double somersault forward in a broken position) received the name "blanik" (Leszek Blanik was the first athlete to make this jump correctly).

Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozłowska was born on September 16, 1986 in Wąbrzeźno. She is a Polish oarswoman, player of the LOTTO-Bydgostia Bydgoszcz club. Magdalena is the  Olympic champion in the doubles of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (2016), bronze medalist in the doubles at the Summer Olympic Games in London (2012), World Champion from Poznan from 2009, silver medalist in double doubles from 2014, bronze medalist in double doubles from 2010 and double doubles from 2013.

Robert Marek Korzeniowski (born on July 30, 1968 in Lubaczów) was a Polish athlete, walker, four-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion and two-time European champion, former world record holder in sports gait, the most successful Polish athlete in terms of Olympic championship titles. Korzeniowski is the Olympic champion (1996; 2000 - twice; 2004). He also participated in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where he was disqualified in controversial circumstances.

Anita Włodarczyk (born August 8, 1985 in Rawicz) is a  Polish athlete, two-time gold medalist of the Olympic Games, four-time world champion and multiple record holder of the world, Europe and the country in a hammer throw. She got in 2016 gold medal  at the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.  She won the gold medal in London in 2012.

Szymon Piotr Kołecki (born October 12, 1981 in Oława) is a  Polish weightlifter, player of the KPC Górnik Polkowice club. He is the winner of the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 and gold at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, a 4-time medalist of the World Championships, 6 - three-time medalist of the European championships (five-time European champion). From 2016, MMA fighter, former PLMMA fighter and Babylon MMA. Currently he fight for the Polish organization - KSW.

Egon Johann Franke (born on October 23, 1935 in Gliwice) was a  Polish fencer, Olympic champion. As the first Polish citizen he won the Olympic gold medal in fencing. He competed at the Olympic Games three times, always in the foil. At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, he was a member of the team that dropped out in the quarter-finals. During the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he became a champion in floristry individually.

Renata Mauer-Różańska won gold in Atlanta in 1996 in shooting. She is gold medailst  in 2000 in Sydney. She won bronze in Atlanta in 1996, silver in 1990 in Moscow, silver in 1998 in Barcelona and bronze medal in 1994 in Milan.

Anna Rogowska is a Polish athlete, pole vaulter, bronze medalist of the Olympic Games. She won the bronze medal in 2004 in Athens in pole vault, the gold medal in 2009 in Berlin,  the  bronze in 2007 in Birmingham, the silver medal  in Moscow in 2006, the bronze in 2010 in Ad-Daucha. She won gold in 2011 in Paris, silver in Madrid in 2005 and silver in 2013 in Gothenburg.

Adrian Edward Zieliński (born on March 28, 1989 in Nakło over Notec) is the  Polish weightlifter, the Olympic champion of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in weightlifting weighing up to 85 kg, world champion (2010) and Europe (2014).

Zbigniew Brótka is a  Polish speed skater, specializing on a distance of 1500 m. He is the  Olympic champion and bronze medalist from Sochi (2014), Olympian from Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).

Piotr Małachowski (born on June 7, 1983 in Żuromin) is a Polish athlete specializing in discus throw. He is three times participant in the Olympic Games, won the silver medal in 2008 in Beijing and in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. He stood on the podium of the World and European Championships (also among young people). Małachowski is nine times Polish record holder, multiple medalist of the Polish Senior Championships.

Adam Marek Korol (born August 20, 1974 in Gdańsk) is a Polish oarsman, four-time world champion, Olympic champion from the Beijing Olympic Games. He was also  the Minister of Sport and Tourism in 2015.

Monika Ewa Michalik (born May 2, 1980 in Międzyrzecz) is a Polish wrestler, wrestler of the Grunwald wrestling section Poznań. She is the  Polish representative, bronze medalist of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in the 63 kg category in the free style.