If we were to reduce the performance of Polish Olympic athletes to a school report, what grade would they deserve?
Thomas Majowski, Vice President of PZLA: – I think it’s enough, if we meet the standard, we’ll probably get a good hat-trick.
Let’s first determine if we are talking about the same thing at all. Are you very disappointed with the achievements of Polish athletes in Paris?
– Is it tight? No. It’s not that we didn’t expect such a performance. You probably know very well that there are no surprises in sports. And indeed, we knew how it would be. As usual, a person in sports should also be optimistic, and we agreed that it might not happen, but it did. What can I say? And in the famous assessments of the ministry, we were not so wrong in our expectations.
It is certainly impressive that we won nine medals at the previous Olympic Games in Tokyo. This comparison with our current achievements is very painful.
– Yes, but I was talking about that. It was a miracle, it was something beyond that, because everything went our way. And that was also based on many other things, very beneficial for us, and above all, the fact that our stars of the golden generation were in the prime of their youth. But that was three years ago and things have changed a lot already. As a result, we have what we have.
What are the expectations for the ministry?
– Very detailed. It was about medals and places, and how each competitor was judged and how they performed.
In your opinion, the current situation, i.e. the only medal in athletics, was primarily affected by what?
– The age of our players, our stars, right? There are no surprises in athletics, we have many players who compete at the highest level. In fact, only they can fight for medals. But we are not alone in this competition, the whole world is there. And it ended as it ended. We had a few chances, some of them were successful as usual, and we got one medal.
The President spoke of sixteen medals.
– Those were very optimistic words. That’s the way it is with expectations, either they come true or they don’t. In the end, we have 10 total and let’s be happy with that too.
When it comes to our athletes, you see dissatisfaction first and foremost where? In which competition? In which final?
– It’s a pity that Anita’s is four centimeters tall, because this medal would really be a beautiful crowning achievement for her career.
I would say five centimeters.
– Well, five, right. It’s unfortunate for those in power, and it’s unfortunate for some of the other shows, but that’s the way it is. Not everything has to be 100 percent perfect. Or 110 percent like in Tokyo. Sometimes it’s fifty.
Among these beginners, who did you like the most?
– Definitely the girls in the 1500m. And here they should be highly commended. Weronika Lizakowska and Klaudia Kazimierska had a great start. These are young players, and they really competed here at the incredibly high level that we showed in this competition. The Polish record, the personal records. There were two of the best seasons, so some people were in really good shape here.
What needs to change and what can realistically change in the four years until the next Olympics so that we can count on better performance in Los Angeles? Or maybe you have a pessimistic outlook.
– It’s not like this question can be easily answered. It’s a very complex system and is affected by many factors that we have no control over. Remember, this is a global competition. We can do our best, and we can still lose to someone simply because they will be better. That’s what it looks like. The medals have become very “democratized”, and more and more countries are getting involved in distributing them. That’s what the Games are like, as I always say.
How much does Natalia Kaczmarek’s 400m medal weigh?
– All medals in sprints are very prestigious, because these competitions are very popular and the whole world participates in them, especially when the level is as high as the women’s 400m race at the moment.
At the level of the Polish Athletics Federation, where do you see the greatest reserves and the greatest opportunities at the moment, and where can you achieve a qualitative leap and a qualitative step?
– The time for settlement and new ideas will be after the season. We will make an in-depth analysis of each start and improve it. Our situation has been really good in the last three years, thanks to our long-term success. Maybe it’s too good, because unfortunately, successes often come from shortcomings, especially in Poland.
During the matches, there was a lot of talk about our walk. How do you respond to the account of Katarzyna Zdzieblow, who was informed at the last minute, and in her opinion in a very bad way, that she would be returning to Poland at dawn the next day.
– I don’t really want to get into that narrative. People defend themselves with results, and that’s what the Olympics are about. People come here to work, not to go on holiday, and let’s stick to that. If the team needs someone, they need him. And if someone else is needed, unfortunately you have to give up your seat. I’m not going to get into any discussion here, because there’s nothing to discuss.
What will the World Championships be like in Tokyo next year?
– The goal as usual will be medals.
This is well known, but expectations are that it will be a major event that opens the new Olympic cycle.
– Yes, but it will be too late, so it will be a difficult tournament for us. Everything will have to be built completely differently, this whole season, because from now on it will be the end-of-season event. We have been preparing for it for two years. Well, we will see, we will see. This national team will definitely be different. Much younger. And we will see what the goals will be, they will definitely become clearer during the season. It is difficult to say who will be in this team, only time will tell. There is no denying that many people end their careers after the Olympic season and change different things. So it will definitely be a different team.
There is also the matter of our “heavy athletics”, which is very close to you in particular. In the hammer we used to dominate but it was very weak.
– We are used to it. Maybe too much? And the world does not sleep either and moves forward. We were really lucky and had great people who won medals, but now the world wins them.
Arthur Jacques, speaking from Paris, took notes.
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