Poland is poised to put together new women's crews for this season as preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games begins.
Zbigniew Kowalczuk, the new coach of the Polish Canoe Sprint women’s team, told the International Canoe Federation that this year was “a good time to experiment” as he looks to give younger and less experienced athletes the chance to shine on the international stage.
His appointment came at the end of 2024 – a year that saw Poland miss out on a Canoe Sprint Olympic medal in the women’s and men’s events for the first time since Los Angeles 1984.
Kowalczuk started his new role in January this year and has since overseen training camps in Poland, Portugal and Italy where he has assessed the athletes at his disposal in the seniors, juniors and U23s.
“The final training camp before the first national qualification events will also take place in Italy,” said Kowalczuk.
“After the national qualification regatta in Walcz in late April, the athletes will prepare for their first World Cup competitions in Szeged and Poznan.
“The year after the Olympics is always a rather specific period, making it a good time to experiment with forming new crews, giving younger and less experienced athletes the opportunity to compete.
“My goal for this season is to achieve strong sporting results in new crew configurations while maintaining a stable and high level of performance.”
Kowalczuk arrives at the Polish Canoe Federation with plenty of experience behind him having worked for the School of Sports Mastery (SMS) which is the main training centre for young athletes and affiliated with the high school in Walcz.
During his time at the SMS, Kowalczuk worked with the likes of Beata Mikolajczyk, Karolina Naja, Justyna Iskrzycka and Adrianna Kakol who have all gone on to represent Poland at the Olympic Games.
“I believe that the goal of every coach who takes his profession seriously is the continuous development of his coaching skills,” said Kowalczuk.
“If these efforts result in increased performances of his athletes, then he can progressively set higher and higher goals.
“Becoming the head coach of the national team is, for me, both a great honour and recognition of my coaching achievements done so far.
“This prestigious role is a new professional challenge for me and I am fully aware of the high expectations from the canoeing community and fans in Poland regarding the outcomes.”
Poland has a rich history in canoeing, winning 23 Olympic medals in Canoe Sprint and Canoe Slalom but the nation has yet to secure gold at the Games.
The wait for that elusive gold medal is something which Kowalczuk is determined to end as he looks ahead to LA28.
“If I didn't believe in it, I wouldn't take on the job of coaching female kayakers in preparation for the next Olympic Games,” said Kowalczuk on Poland’s gold medal hopes.
“Setting ambitious goals for myself and, most importantly, for my athletes is the only path to success.
“At the same time, I am aware that achieving the highest accolade depends on many factors.
“For this reason, continuous improvement of my coaching skills, the ability to learn, and maintaining good relationships with the athletes as well as with people from the kayaking and sponsorship communities who support the achievement of our goals are all crucial.”
Excitement is also building for next year’s ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in the Polish city of Poznan.
It will be the first time Poland has staged the World Championships since Poznan played host in 2012.
“Competitions of such high prestige, like the senior World Championships held in your own country, certainly require a high level of mobilisation from the entire community in their organisation,” said Kowalczuk.
“However, they also create the need to perform at the highest level, especially in front of the Polish audience.
“My overarching goal, both for myself and my athletes, is to maintain a consistently high sporting level, proudly represent Poland on the international stage, and bring only the best and most joyful emotions to the fans, hoping for the continuously growing popularity of our discipline—because it truly deserves it.”
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