The hero’s welcome afforded to Poland’s Olympians when they arrived back in Warsaw was not enough to mask a harsh reality—after the highs of Tokyo 2020, the Paris Games will be remembered as a crushing disappointment, an uncomfortable truth that has now left many asking what went wrong.
Just over three years ago, Poland’s Olympic squad returned home with a haul of 14 medals, among them four golds. While this was seen as a triumphant base to build upon, this time Team PL failed to deliver on their promise, scraping just 10 medals, of which only one was gold.
Finishing 42nd in the medal rankings, its lowest position ever, Poland bagged its smallest medal tally since 1956. With the president of Poland’s own Olympic Committee openly targeting 16 medals prior to the Games, the country’s performance will register as an emphatic failure.
Online, the public has been brutal in their assessment of Poland’s stuttering bid for Olympic glory, with words such as “shame” and “embarrassment” bandied around. Others have accused Poland’s Olympians of being “tourists.” Speaking to state news agency PAP, javelin thrower Maria Andrejczyk talked about the “hate speech” she had faced. “This is the first time I’ve encountered it on such a scale,” she said.
Finishing 42nd in the medal rankings, its lowest position ever, Poland bagged its smallest medal tally since 1956. With the president of Poland’s own Olympic Committee openly targeting 16 medals prior to the Games, the country’s performance will register as an emphatic failure.
What the fans say
Online, the public has been brutal in their assessment of Poland’s stuttering bid for Olympic glory, with words such as “shame” and “embarrassment” bandied around. Others have accused Poland’s Olympians of being “tourists.” Speaking to state news agency PAP, javelin thrower Maria Andrejczyk talked about the “hate speech” she had faced. “This is the first time I’ve encountered it on such a scale,” she said.
What the squad says
Poland’s Olympians have not taken the criticism lying down. Daria Pikulik, a silver medalist in the women’s omnium, has slammed the Polish Cycling Association, revealing that she had to pay for her own training camp. “Until April we had no information about financing—we had absolutely nothing, not even bikes. We didn’t even receive our suits until the day before the start,” she said.
Wrestler Arkadiusz Kułynycz, who lost out on bronze, was equally disparaging about his association: “I wasn’t allowed to take my training partner to the most important event of my life,” he complained.
“The officials who run the association unfortunately don’t like competitors like myself who sacrifice everything and have something to say. I’m sad because instead of my training partner, officials brought their own partners,” he added.
Others have also voiced discontent with their associations, including fencers and weightlifters.
Knives are being sharpened. Sławomir Nitras, Poland’s Minister of Sport, has promised to investigate every instance of “negligence” reported by Olympians.
Writing on X, Nitras said: “There were too many reports regarding a lack of coaches, physiotherapists or equipment. We are starting by establishing who, and in what capacity, was present at the Olympic Games using public money.”
Nitras has pledged a probe into spending, both during the Games and prior: “This… should become the subject of a debate on the effectiveness of financing Polish sports, individual sports associations and the Olympic Committee.”
From this warchest, the Polish Sailing Association received just over 30 million złotys but returned with not a single medal. The Polish Canoe Association, meanwhile, pocketed over 42 million złotys but claimed just one silver.
Receiving over 74 million złotys, the Polish Athletics Association can also expect tough questions after coming home with just one bronze to its name. As the fallout continues, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Szymon Hołownia, has urged for “quick action” to be taken.
Unlike swathes of the public, the press have generally been kind to Poland’s Olympians, focusing on the grievances that sports figures have aired. Similarly, a strong spotlight is now being tilted towards what many see as irresponsible or misdirected spending.
Beyond this narrative, several media platforms have pointed the finger of blame inward, suggesting that it is the Polish public’s own disinterest in participating in active exercise that has helped foster a history of sporting disappointment.
Others have also voiced discontent with their associations, including fencers and weightlifters.
What the politicians have said
Knives are being sharpened. Sławomir Nitras, Poland’s Minister of Sport, has promised to investigate every instance of “negligence” reported by Olympians.
Writing on X, Nitras said: “There were too many reports regarding a lack of coaches, physiotherapists or equipment. We are starting by establishing who, and in what capacity, was present at the Olympic Games using public money.”
This last point is salient. The suspicion that some officials treated the Games as a junket will be looked into. Nitras has demanded a list of non-competitors who traveled to Paris and details as to their length and place of stay.Wyjaśnimy każdy zgłaszany przez sportowców przypadek zaniedbania. Sygnałów dotyczących braku obecności trenerów, fizjoterapeutów lub braku sprzętu było zbyt dużo. Rozpoczynamy od ustalenia kto i w jakim charakterze przebywał na igrzyskach olimpijskich za pieniądze publiczne. pic.twitter.com/wPIVfkvZzJ
— Slawomir Nitras (@SlawomirNitras) August 12, 2024
Nitras has pledged a probe into spending, both during the Games and prior: “This… should become the subject of a debate on the effectiveness of financing Polish sports, individual sports associations and the Olympic Committee.”
— Slawomir Nitras (@SlawomirNitras) August 12, 2024Nitras revealed the staggering funding that some associations had received. According to figures released by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, in total almost 472 million złotys were allocated to various sports associations between 2022 and 2024.
From this warchest, the Polish Sailing Association received just over 30 million złotys but returned with not a single medal. The Polish Canoe Association, meanwhile, pocketed over 42 million złotys but claimed just one silver.
Receiving over 74 million złotys, the Polish Athletics Association can also expect tough questions after coming home with just one bronze to its name. As the fallout continues, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Szymon Hołownia, has urged for “quick action” to be taken.
What the press say
Unlike swathes of the public, the press have generally been kind to Poland’s Olympians, focusing on the grievances that sports figures have aired. Similarly, a strong spotlight is now being tilted towards what many see as irresponsible or misdirected spending.
Beyond this narrative, several media platforms have pointed the finger of blame inward, suggesting that it is the Polish public’s own disinterest in participating in active exercise that has helped foster a history of sporting disappointment.
The Gazeta Wyborcza daily also apportioned blame to the lack of coaching expertise, citing the importance of “imported knowledge” and arguing that an influx of foreign coaches had resurrected the nation’s volleyball scene.
Speaking to Wyborcza, Tomasz Majewski, a two-time Olympic shot put champion, further posits that increased immigration could lend Polish sport a boost in the future. “Germany, France, Holland, and Belgium have all drawn talent as a result of immigration,” he says, “[and I think] Ukrainians will pour new energy into many Polish sports.”
Speaking to Wyborcza, Tomasz Majewski, a two-time Olympic shot put champion, further posits that increased immigration could lend Polish sport a boost in the future. “Germany, France, Holland, and Belgium have all drawn talent as a result of immigration,” he says, “[and I think] Ukrainians will pour new energy into many Polish sports.”
On the other hand, Konrad Burdyka, a sociologist and former member of the Rural Sports Commission of the Polish Olympic Committee, theorizes that one key factor in Poland’s Olympic decline has been the apathy that sporting authorities have shown to connecting to the rural population.
“No government has been interested in the sporting emancipation of the countryside, except for the communist government, which wanted to do this for ideological and propaganda reasons,” said Burdyka. “But if we do not care about [the countryside] today, we are cutting off our path to success.”
Speaking to the press yesterday, Radosław Piesiewicz, the president of Poland’s Olympic Committee, defended his record and reminded reporters that it was the Ministry of Sport that was ultimately responsible for overseeing competitive sport. However, he proposes to change this.
“By the end of the year, we want to present a draft law that would transfer responsibility for competitive sport from the Ministry of Sport to the Polish Olympic Committee. If that happens, in four years I would be prepared to take full responsibility for the results of our athletes at the Los Angeles Games,” he said.
Critics, meanwhile, have rounded on Piesiewicz after it was revealed his family were given a limousine service from the airport—a luxury not handed to athletes.
As more join the mudslinging, there is a feeling that Polish sport—or at least its financing—has reached a rubicon. A wake-up call has been issued, but how Poland reacts remains to be seen.
“No government has been interested in the sporting emancipation of the countryside, except for the communist government, which wanted to do this for ideological and propaganda reasons,” said Burdyka. “But if we do not care about [the countryside] today, we are cutting off our path to success.”
What next?
Speaking to the press yesterday, Radosław Piesiewicz, the president of Poland’s Olympic Committee, defended his record and reminded reporters that it was the Ministry of Sport that was ultimately responsible for overseeing competitive sport. However, he proposes to change this.
“By the end of the year, we want to present a draft law that would transfer responsibility for competitive sport from the Ministry of Sport to the Polish Olympic Committee. If that happens, in four years I would be prepared to take full responsibility for the results of our athletes at the Los Angeles Games,” he said.
Critics, meanwhile, have rounded on Piesiewicz after it was revealed his family were given a limousine service from the airport—a luxury not handed to athletes.
As more join the mudslinging, there is a feeling that Polish sport—or at least its financing—has reached a rubicon. A wake-up call has been issued, but how Poland reacts remains to be seen.
Source: Sportowe Fakty / Gazeta Wyborcza / PAP / Money.pl
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