Pyrek
sets national record in Spala
Janusz Rozum for IAAF
24-25 February 2001 – The highlight of the Polish Indoor Championships was 20-year-old Monika Pyrek, who set a national record at the two day competition in Spala.
It was the pole vaulter’s third national record this season, as she cleared 4.36, 1 cm better then four days ago in Piraeus. Unfortunately she was unable to pass 4.40m, the World Indoor Championships qualifying standard, so her start in Lisbon is doubtful.
The finest competition took place in the men’s shot put, where the difference between the first and fifth competitor was just 19cm. The youngest junior - Jaroslaw Cichocki won with 18.69 but his season best is 19.52.
Artur Partyka did not compete in the high jump and furthermore he announced his retirement (after only 2.10 in Arnsberg). The winner was Grzegorz Sposób, who improved his personal best by 4 cm, jumping 2.27m. 24-year-old Sposób has been training for only three seasons.
The European Indoor silver medallist from Gent, Lidia Chojecka won the 3000m race in 9:38.30, but feeling the effects of a recent foot injury, has decided not to compete in Lisbon.
Sixteen times National Indoor Champion and 1998 Combined Events Challenge winner Urszula Wlodarczyk did not compete in any event due to her Achilles tendon. A medical examination will decide in 3 days whether she will or won’t compete at the World Indoors.
The spectators were impressed by Marcin Krzywanski’s 60m race (6.61). Krzywanski lost his place in the 4x100 metre relay, for the reason that he was injured several times during last two seasons.
Robert Mackowiak, who placed 5th in Sydney Olympic 400 metre final and who in the 4x400 relay final fell over a set of starting blocks (standing too close besides the track), depriving his relay team of a medal chance, is having a very busy indoor season. In Spala he easily won the 200m in 21.19, and having performed the fourth world best time in the 400m is a serious contender for a medal in Lisbon.
The walking races were won by the Korzeniowski siblings, Robert, voted Poland’s sportsman of the year in 2000, and for the first time his sister Sylwia.
1999 World Indoor Champion Sebastian Chmara finished second in his first combined events competition since Maebashi. He was far from his record form with 5342 points.
After the champs, the Polish national federation announced that they would be sending a squad of 7 men and 4 women to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Lisbon in two weeks time with 4x400 m relay and Wlodarczyk as the most serious medal contenders.
Men –
60m - Marcin Krzywanski (6.61 ’2001)
400, 4x400 - Robert Mackowiak (46.19)
4x400 - Piotr Rysiukiewicz (46.69), Piotr Haczek (46.98), Jacek Bocian (47.06), Piotr
Jagiello (48.45)
800m - Pawel Czapiewski (1:47.98)
Women –
PV - Monika Pyrek (4.36)
SP - Katarzyna Zakowicz (18.26), Krystyna Danilczyk-Zabawska (18.10)
Pentathlon - Urszula Wlodarczyk
Full results of Polish Championships will be soon at http://www.pzla.pl/hmp01pro.htm
