Poland‘s Medal Hopes Dim as World Athletics Championships Begin in Tokyo
TOKYO – Poland has dispatched a team of 62 athletes to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, featuring stars like Natalia Bukowiecka, five-time world champion Paweł Fajdek, and four-time world champion Anita Włodarczyk. Though,a forecast from Track & Field News suggests a challenging competition for the Polish team,predicting no medals for any Polish athlete.
This potential shutout would mark only the second time in Polish athletics history that the nation returns from the World Championships without a medal, the first occurring in 1987. According to the magazine’s projections, Maria Żodzik has the best chance at a podium finish, forecast to place fourth in the high jump.
The prediction reflects a recent downturn in Polish athletics performance. Natalia Bukowiecka (formerly Kaczmarek), a key performer in recent years-including winning a bronze medal in the 400 meters at the 2023 Olympic Games-is currently experiencing a weaker season, diminishing her medal prospects. Track & Field News has predicted medalists in all events except the mixed 4×400 meter relay, citing the difficulty in forecasting team compositions.
Recent World Championships results demonstrate a declining trend: Poland secured six medals in 2019, four in 2022, and just two in 2023. This follows a year where the nation’s senior athletes have struggled to achieve top results, signaling a broader period of challenges for Polish athletics.
