In 2022, the Polish Paralympic Committee wanted to expand the group of recognized athletes. 20 nominations are expected in the 2022 Athlete of the Year category. A tie in the Chapter’s vote for the last lucky spot gave the two people who took it a bye to stage three – hence “the ‘eye’ among nominated players and 6 coaching nominations.
The choice this year will not be easy. Among the recognized world championship medalists, such as para-swimmers Jacek Czech and Oliwia Jabłońska, para-rowers Jolanta Majka and Michał Gadowski, para-archer Milena Olszewska, representatives of winter sports Igor Sikorski and Witold Skupień or para-cyclist Rafal Wilk. Among them we also have podium winners of the European Championships, such as weightlifting gold medalist Marzena Zięba, world record holders, such as Renata Śliwińska and Karolina Kucharczyk, and participants of the Paralympic Games in Beijing ( Iweta Faron and Krzysztof Plewa). Some of these medals are historical events – the first high places for the White-Reds in the history of a given discipline, such as the achievements of our parashooters Barbara Moskal and Szymon Sowiński, or Edyta Owczarz, Marika Furtak and Damian Iskrzycki who represent us at pétanque. There could also be paraswords dominating this year’s World Cup series – Kinga Dróżdż and Adrian Castro, and para-tennis players winning medal after medal on international stages: Patryk Chojnowski and Natalia Partyka.
– Although the year between the Olympic Games and the qualifying season is always special, this time we really can’t complain about the lack of good candidates. I am happy that no less than 21 athletes are among the nominees – underlines Łukasz Szeliga, President of the Polish Paralympic Committee. – Sport does not sleep after the Olympics, and our athletes have given us many great emotions in arenas around the world. Today, we can reward them by choosing the best of them, who will be honored with their statuette. Sir Ludwig Guttmann, founder of the Paralympic movement.
Among the nominated athletes and coaches are people representing a very wide range of sports: table tennis, para-cross-country skiing, para-shooting, para-rowing, sitting volleyball, para-cycling, para-shooting archery, para-fencing, para-athletics, weightlifting and boccia. Each of them has achieved tremendous success on the international stage this year.
Among the nominated organizations we have 4 sports associations and the flourishing club KSI Start Szczecin, and 3 recognized international events compete for Guttmann in the category of sports events – the Parafencing World Cup “Kiliński’s Saber”, the European Virtus Games and the ‘Intercontinental Challenger in Boccia Poznań 2022 – as well as the 50 jubilee. Paraathletics MP and popularization of physical activity for all 2. Orlen Paralympic Run.
Internet voting lasts until November 30. The final result will be determined by the combined score of the Chapter and Internet users’ vote. You can vote in each category via Polish Paralympic Committee website.
At the final gala, special prizes will be awarded by the plebiscite chapter.
The main partner of the Polish Paralympic Committee’s 4th Plebiscite for Athlete of the Year #Guttmanny2022 is Totalizator Sportowy, owner of the LOTTO brand.
The event was co-financed by the Physical Culture Development Fund administered by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.
The founder of the statuettes of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, manufactured by Andrzej Renes is PKN ORLEN.
List of nominees for the 3rd stage of the Polish Paralympic Committee’s 4th Plebiscite for Athlete of the Year #Guttmanny2022
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR 2022
Adrian Castro, IKS AWF Warszawa, para-fencing
Patryk Chojnowski, KSI Start Szczecin table tennis
Jacek Czech, UKS G8 Bielany, Para-swimming
Kinga Dróżdż, IKS AWF Warsaw, para-fencing
Iweta Faron, KS ZOMA – TEAM Obidowiec Obidowa, cross-country paraskiing and parabiathlon
Marika Furtak, ZSR Debut Zielona Góra, boccia
Michał Gadowski and Jolanta Majka, KSI Start Szczecin, para-rowing
Damian Iskrzycki with Dariusz Borowski, Start Bielsko-Biała, boccia
Oliwia Jabłońska, WZSN Start Wrocław, Para-swimming
Karolina Kucharczyk, MUKS Kadet Rawicz, para-athletics
Barbara Moskal, PK Podkarpacie, parashooting
Milena Olszewska, GZSN Start Gorzów Wielkopolski, Paraarchy
Edyta Owczarz with Krystyna Owczarz, IKSON Głogów, boccia
Natalia Partyka, KSI Start Szczecin, table tennis
Krzysztof Plewa, Veloactiv Kraków, cross-country paraskiing, paracycling
Igor Sikorski, Start Bielsko-Biała, alpine paraski
Witold Skupień, KS ZOMA – TEAM Obidowiec Obidowa, cross-country skiing
Szymon Sowiński, ZSR Start Zielona Góra, sports parashooting
Renata Śliwińska, GZSN Start Gorzów Wielkopolski, para-athletics
Rafał Wilk, Rafał Wilk “Sport is One” Foundation, para-cycling
Marzena Zięba, TZSN Start Tarnów, weightlifting
TRAINER/TRAINER OF 2022
Bozydar Abajiev – sitting volleyball
Ryszard Bukański – paraarchery
Adam Dobosz – sports parashooting
Tomasz Kaźmierczak – para-rowing
Andrzej Ochal – table tennis
Beata Pożarowszczyk-Kuczko – para-swimming
SPORTS ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR 2022:
KSI Start Szczecin
Polish Boccia Association
Polish Association of Sports for the Disabled “Start”
Polish Table Tennis Association
ZSS “Adapting Together”
SPORTS EVENT 2022:
2. ORLEN PARALYMPIC RACE
50th Polish Para-Athletics Championships Szczecin 2022
European Games of the VIRTUS Federation – Krakow 2022
Poznan 2022 World Boccia Intercontinental Challenger
Wheelchair Fencing World Cup “Kiliński’s Saber” 2022
Press release
Go to Polsatsport.pl
