On the second day of competing in athletics at the Chengdu FISU University Games, Poland took the spotlight by winning five medals, including three gold.
Konrad Bukowiecki, a FISU Games record holder, was Poland’s special hero, winning his second straight title in men’s shot put, and his third FISU Games medal having also won bronze in 2017. No question the win in Chengdu is a special one since he has just returned from an injury and threw a longest of 20.23m.
“It was tough for the past five months. I always say that you can win or you can lose, but you can’t never give up. So, I didn’t give up and now I’m here, winning a gold medal”, says the 26-year-old, happy to be back.
He was first forced to finish his indoor season early because of the elbow injury in March, just to find out his ACL was torn one month later. They decided not to do the surgery, and yet he found strength to recover and claim a victory.
Bukowiecki shared the podium with his teammate Szymon Mazur in second, leaving behind Germany’s Xaver Hastenrath in third. Now the gold medalist prepares for the World Championships which start in two weeks in Budapest.
“It’s very hard to throw far with the ACL damaged but I think I’m still able to throw maybe not 22, but 21 metres.”, which he hopes can bring him to the final.
A victorious night for Poland was secured with three more medals. In the women’s long jump event, Nikola Horowska and Magdalena Bokun took gold and silver respectively. Then it was 2023national champion Oskar Stachnik who smashed the men’s discus competition marking the new season best.
Fans at the Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium were not let down in the sprint events, as the evening finished with firework type performances.
In the women’s 100 metre events, Patrizia van der Weken clocked 11.22 seconds to take the victory, winning Luxembourg’s first ever FISU World University Games gold medal, and only their second total medal. Their only previous medal was a bronze in athletics in the men’s 800m at the 1963 FISU Games in Porto
Alegre, Brazil.
“I am so happy. I was hoping for a medal, but at the end of the day you always have to perform at your highest,” as she certainly did since she also claimed her first international medal.
The 23-year-old edged out Slovakia’s Viktoria Foster and Austria’s Magdalena Lindner to enjoy a well-deserved win.
The men’s 100 metres was just as exciting, with a two-man clash chasing the line. At the finish, it was Jamaica’s Kadrian Dwayne Goldson who crossed the line in 10.04, and South African Phatutshedzo Shaun Maswangayi crossing just 0.02 seconds behind him.
“I came prepared to win and I did that. I knew Maswangayi was the man to beat, and I knew I could win,” said Goldson.
He had a tough opponent since the South African was the favourite to win in Chengdu, having set a personal record just two months ago at 9.91. Based in the USA, 22-year-old is coached by the nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis, one of the greatest athletes of all time.
“He is a great mentor, a great guy, he is like a father figure. After the semifinal I called him. He said not to worry, to relax and let the race come to you. But Goldson was a better man today”, concludes the South African, who shared a podium with China’s Chen Guanfeng.
Additionally, in the men’s 10,000 metres, Dismas Yeko was the fastest, as he secured the gold medal for Uganda.
Written by Ana Brenčić, FISU Young Reporter
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