Six Medals for Zwolińska as Kraków Canoeists Dominate Kayak Cross Championships

Klaudia Zwolińska claimed six medals at the Polish Canoe Slalom Championships in Kraków, while local athletes secured top honors in the dramatic kayak cross events at the Kolna course.

Zwolińska’s Six-Medal Haul

Klaudia Zwolińska finished the Polish canoe slalom championships with an impressive total of six medals: four gold, one silver, and one bronze. On the final day of competition at the Kolna course, she won the trial, but in the direct kayak cross competition, she had to concede defeat to Patrycja Iwaniec from AZS-AKF Kraków. In the men’s final, another representative of the Kraków club, Jakub Brzeziński, triumphed.

Sunday at the Kolna course belonged to the most spectacular event of the championships. In kayak cross, speed alone is not enough. Competitors start simultaneously in four-person heats, and the battle—often involving physical contact—begins right on the ramp and continues all the way to the finish line.

Coach of the Polish national team, Jakub Chojnowski, laughed that they received many signals about the event being very watchable, describing it as spectacular shoulder-to-shoulder, paddle-to-paddle, and kayak-to-kayak combat on the edge of the rules.

The large audience got exactly what the event promised: quick twists, kayak collisions, tactical duels, and unpredictable outcomes.

Zwolińska Fastest in the Trial

The elimination trial, which also awarded Polish championship medals, went according to expectations. Klaudia Zwolińska was the fastest in the women’s competition, with the Olympic silver medalist from Paris finishing less than a second ahead of Dominika Brzeska and nearly two seconds ahead of Patrycja Iwaniec.

Among the men, Tadeusz Kuchno achieved the best time, defeating Marek Kulczycki and Mikołaj Mastalski. The trial was only a preliminary stage, with men starting direct competition from the 1/8 finals and women from the semi-finals.

Kayak cross quickly confirmed its unpredictability. Mateusz Polaczyk was eliminated as early as the quarterfinals, while Marek Kulczycki, the bronze medalist of the U23 world championships, exited in the semifinals.

Iwaniec Stops the Olympic Medalist

The biggest surprise came in the women’s final, where Klaudia Zwolińska was blocked right after the start and had to chase her opponents from the very beginning. Despite attempts to overtake them, she could not regain the lead, and Patrycja Iwaniec from AZS-AKF Kraków took the victory, leaving Zwolińska with the silver medal.

Supported by PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, Zwolińska admitted at the finish line that it was a brutal situation, noting she got hit in the chest with a kayak and was scared, but called it the charm of the discipline.

The bronze medal was won by Dominika Danek from Start Nowy Sącz.

Second place in kayak cross did not change the fact that Zwolińska was the biggest star of the entire championships, finishing as the only competitor with six medals: four gold, one silver, and one bronze.

Brzeziński Seizes His Opportunity

The men’s final was equally exciting, featuring the younger generation of Polish canoeists. Jakub Brzeziński handled the direct combat best, utilizing his rivals’ mistake to claim the Polish championship and make up for his fourth-place finish earlier in the K1 event.

The gold medalist explained that vigilance is the key to success in cross, stating that after the bridge he saw two colleagues collide and spotted a window to attack.

Maciej Majdan from the Kraków Canoe Club took second place, marking his first medal won at the senior Polish championships.

The young athlete admitted that the silver felt like gold, highlighting the massive success of standing on the podium before the public and all the seniors.

Mikołaj Mastalski from AZS-AKF Kraków completed the podium. The Sunday results meant the hosts finished the championships on a strong note, with Kraków club representatives winning two kayak cross gold medals along with a silver and bronze in the men’s final.

The senior Polish championships in canoe slalom and kayak cross were held from August 21 to 23 at the Kolna course in Kraków, with LOTTO serving as a partner of the Polish Canoe Federation.